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LESSONS IN ENGLISH 
LITERATURE 

By JOHN O'KANE MURRAY, M. A., M. D. 



REVISED AND ENLARGED 
By P. J. LENNOX, B. A., Lltt. D., 

Rrofessor of English Language and Literature in the 
Catholic University of America 



Twenty-first Edition 



METROPOLITAN PRESS 

JOHN MURPHY COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS 

BALTIMORE NEW YORK 



MS 
IT*? 



THIS BOOK 

IS MOST AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED TO MY SISTER 



"To thee no star be dark ! 
Both heaven and earth 
Befriend thee ever." 



Copyright, 1913, By John Mchphy Company, 




©CI. A 35 11 2 



P E E F A C E 



TO THE FIRST TWENTY EDITIONS. 

The title of this little volume scarcely conveys an 
adequate idea of the wide range of subjects discussed 
between its covers. The work is divided into four 
Books. Book I. gives a brief history of the English 
Language, a bird's-eye view of its composition, and a 
history of English Literature from Caedmon to Chau- 
cer. Book II. covers the English Literature of Great 
Britain from Chaucer to the present time. Book III. 
treats of the Literature of Ireland — Celtic and Eng- 
lish. Book IV. embraces in brief the English Litera- 
ture of America, and ends with a Short Dictionary 
of Authors. 

The Historical Introductions — each of which 
should be carefully read before proceeding to the les- 
sons that follow — give a rapid view of British, Irish, 
and American history, with special reference to the 
progress of letters, learning, and civilization. Litera- 
ture takes a color from the times in which it is pro- 
duced. It is best studied in connection with history. 

I have omitted long extracts. In a work of this 
nature they serve no good purpose. A literary mas- 
terpiece should be read from the first word to the ]ast 
—or not at all. The whole should never be judged 
by a part. How silly and illogical it is to represent 



iv 



PREFACE. 



Julius Ccesar or Evangeline by two or three pages! 
The quotations I have scattered here and there are 
so many gems to be fixed in the mind as an exercise 
of taste and memory. 

My book has grown by degrees during the last ten 
years. It has been prepared with a high, well-defined 
purpose, and has cost me much earnest, patient labor. 
The final chapters, I may be permitted to say, were 
written during periods of painfully poor health. It 
now goes forth on its mission, and may that be ad 
majorem Dei gloriam! I hope it will be found a 
pleasant guide over the wide world of English Litera- 
ture — a guide equally safe and suitable for the class- 
room and the home-circle. 

John O'Kaxe Murray. 

1734 Oxfokd Street, 
Philadelphia, July 22, 1884. 



PEEFACE 



TO THE TWENTY-FIRST EDITION. 

K~ot many words are needed by way of preface to the 
present edition of this book. Its original plan has 
been maintained, because it is on the whole eminently 
suitable to the requirements of young persons and oth- 
ers who are beginning to make an acquaintance with 
the history of English literature. Hence the Lessons 
are still presented by the method of question and an- 
swer, a Historical Introduction precedes the study of 
each period, and every chapter is closed by a Sum- 
mary of its contents. 

It must be added, however, that, while the general 
character of the book is preserved, there are innumer- 
able changes in detail. Every such change is based on 
those findings of modern research which were not avail- 
able to the late Dr. Murray when he wrote twenty-nine 
years ago. For example, the account of Anglo-Saxon 
literature has been entirely re-written, and to a large 
extent the same is true of those chapters which deal 
with the literature produced in the nineteenth cen- 
tury in England, Ireland, and America. Throughout 
the work the obligation of being thus up to date has 
been constantly borne in mind, and I have accordingly 
made deletions and alterations, and introduced orig- 
inal contributions of my own, which it is as unneces- 
sary as it would be impossible to point out in a short 



vi 



PREFACE. 



preface, but which to any one who compares the twen- 
tieth with the twenty-first edition will be at once 
apparent. 

As a teacher of the history of English literature my- 
self, I have not forgotten the needs of other teachers, 
and I have, therefore, unobtrusively incorporated in 
the text many items of information, which experience 
has shown it to be useful to have at hand, which it is 
sometimes irksome and difficult to trace, and which I 
hope will be accordingly appreciated. 

A comprehensive Index has been added, and the 
Short Dictionary of Authors has been greatly ex- 
panded. Living authors are neither included in the 
Dictionary nor dealt with in the text. 

I have to express my obligations to those books of 
reference from which I have occasionally quoted illus- 
trative passages, and which in every such instance I 
have named. For a few of the definitions on pp. 1-7 
I am indebted to The Century Dictionary and to Ogil- 
vies Imperial Dictionary of the English Language. 
I wish to tender my special thanks to my colleague, 
Professor Joseph Dunn, for valuable assistance ren- 
dered in the revision of the chapter which treats of 
the Gaelic literature of Ireland. 

P. J. Lennox. 

Catholic University of America, 

Washington, D. C. 
June 30, 1913. 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE 



DEFINITIONS. 

1. Language is the principal means employed by 
man for communicating thought. 

2. Literature is thought, feeling, or imagination 
expressed in written language.* 

3. Literature is divided into Poetry and Prose. 

4. Poetry is the product of an excited creative 
imagination, usually expressed in the form of verse.j 

Examples : Longfellow's Evangeline, Moore's Irish Melodies. i 

5. Prose is the term applied to all compositions 
that are not in verse. 

Ex. : Edmund Burke's Speeches, Lingard's History of England. 

6. Rhyme is the chiming of one syllable with an- 



* Everything written or printed is not literature. Books in- 
tended only lor certain trades, professions, or classes of people 
do not belong to literature ; such are works on navigation, en- 
gineering, law. medicine, theology, grammar, arithmetic, book- 
keeping, etc. These, and all similar productions, are published 
for the uses of particular classes of men. But the distinctive 
feature of literature is that it addresses all mankind. It 
speaks to every head and every heart. It embraces all forms of 
composition from the simple rhyme or charming story to the 
dignified history and the sublime poem. The choice, artistic 
productions in English poetry, history, biography, fiction, travels, 
oratory, criticism, and popular scientific and religious works — 
whether written by English, Scotch, Irish, or American authors 
—constitute what we term English Literature. 

t Poetry is not the proper antithesis to prose, but to science. 
Poetry is opposed to science, and prose to metre. * * * The 
proper and immediate object of science is the acquirement or 
communication of truth ; the proper immediate object of poetry 
is the communication of pleasure."- — Coleridge. 

t The student will do well to read the examples carefully. 



2 



LESSONS IX ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



other at regular intervals in poetry — generally at the 
end of a line. 

Ex. : "There is not in the wide world a valley so sweet. 

As that vale in whose bosom the bright waters meet." 

Moore. 

7. Blank Verse is poetry that does not rhyme. 

Ex. : "There is a tide in the affairs of men, 

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune." 

Shakespeare. 

8. A Couplet is two successive lines rhyming to- 
gether. 

Ex. : "Who has not felt, with rapture-smitten frame, 
The power of grace, the magic of a name?" 

Campbell. 

9. A Triplet is three successive lines rhyming to- 
gether. 

Ex. : "Round th.y path white lilies twine, 
True emblems of that soul of thine, 
Yearning to grow e'er more divine." 

Murray. 

10. A Stanza is a number of lines taken together, 
and properly adjusted to each other, the whole form- 
ing a distinct portion of a poem. 

A stanza may consist of almost any number of lines from 
three upwards. * A couplet is not regarded as a stanza, and a 
triplet is rarely so designated. 

11. A Poem is a composition in verse. 

Ex. : Browning's The Ring and the Book, Griffin's Sister of 
Charity. 

12. Lyric Poetry is so called because among the 
ancients it was sung to the accompaniment of the 
lyre. In modern usage Lyric Poetry means either 
(1) poetry composed for musical recitation, or (2) 
poetrv which has reference to and delineates the poet's 
own thoughts and feelings. Lyric poetry includes 
songs, odes, and sonnets. 

13. A Soxg is a short poem intended to be sung. 

Ex. : The AngeVs Whisper, The Last Rose of Summer, The 
Star-spangled Planner. 

14. An Ode is a dignified lyric poem expressive of 



DEFINITIONS. 



3 



exalted emotion. It is frequently of complex metri- 
cal form, 

Ex. : Dryden's Alexander's Feast. 

15. A Sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines, with the 
rhymes arranged in a particular manner. The normal 
rhyme scheme is a b b a, a b b a, c d e, c d e; but many 
variations are allowed. 

Ex. : The Sonnets of Milton, Wordsworth, and Mrs. Browning. 

16. A Ballad is a short narrative poem, especiallv 
one adapted for singing. It is therefore partly epic 
and partly lyric in character. 

17. A Hymn is a sacred song. 

Ex. : Mother Seton's Jerusalem, My Happy Home. 

18. An Elegy is either (1) a short pathetic poem 
in commemoration of the death of some person, as 
Milton's Lycidas, Shelley's Adonais; or (2) any seri- 
ous poem pervaded by a^tone of melancholy, whether 
grief is actually expressed or not, as Gray's Elegy 
written in a Country Churchyard. 

19. Pastoral Poetry is poetry in which country 
scenes, life, and manners are celebrated. 

Ex. : Pope's Pastorals, Shenstone's Pastoral Ballad. 

20. Narrative Poetry recounts the particulars of 
some interesting event, enterprise, or transaction. It 
embraces metrical tales, romances, and historical 
poems. 

Ex. : Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Moore's Lalla Rookh, 
Scott's Lady of the Lake. 

21. Didactic Poetry is poetry employed for the 
purpose of instruction in some branch of knowledge. 

Ex. : Pope's Essay on Criticism, Dyer's The Fleece. 

22. A Drama is a composition in verse or in prose, 
or in verse and prose, presenting in dialogue a course 
of human action, either actually or seemingly de- 



4 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



signed to be spoken in character and represented on 
the stage. Drama assumes two principal forms, trag- 
edy and comedy. Other forms of Drama are tragi- 
comedy, melodrama, lyric drama or grand opera, 
opera bouffe, farce, and burletta. 

23. A Tragedy is a dramatic poem or composition 
representing an important event or series of events in 
the life of some person or persons, in which the dic- 
tion is grave and dignified, the movement is impres- 
sive and stately, and the catastrophe or ending is un- 
happy. 

Ex. : Shakespeare's Macbeth, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet; 
Marlowe's Edward II.; Dryden's All for Love, or the World Well 
Lost. 

24. A Comedy is a dramatic composition of a light 
and amusing class, its characters being represented as 
in the circumstances, or meeting with the incidents, 
of ordinary life. Comedy is distinguished from Trag- 
edy by its sprightliness and the fact that the ending 
of its plot or intrigue is happy ; and from Farce by its 
greater refinement and moderation and by more of 
probability and less of burlesque. 

Ex. : Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer; Sheridan's The 
School for Scandal. 

25. A Tragi-Comedy is a dramatic composition in 

which serious and comic scenes are blended; which 

partakes of the nature of both tragedy and comedy; 

and of which the ending is not unhappy. 

Ex. : Shakespeare's Measure for Measure; Dryden's Love Tri- 
umphant. 

26. A Melodrama in its strict and original sense 
means a dramatic composition in which music is used; 
but the term is now principally employed to designate 
a romantic play, generally of a serious character, in 
which effect is sought by sensational incidents, strik- 
ing situations, exaggerated sentiment, and thrilling 



DEFINITIONS. 



5 



ending, aided frequently by splendid decoration and 
music. 

Ex. : Boucicault's Colleen Bawn. 

27. Lyric Drama or Grand Opera h a dramatic 
composition, of a dignified character, all of which is 
set to music and sung on the stage to the accompani- 
ment of an orchestra. 

Ex. : Gounod's Faust. 

28. Opera Bouffe is a comic opera, frequently 
containing spoken dialogue. 

Ex.: Gay's The Beggar's Opera; Sheridan's The Duenna. 

29. A Farce, in its modern sense, is a dramatic 
composition of a broadly comic character, differing 
from other comedy chiefly in the grotesqueness and 
exaggeration of its characters and incidents. 

Ex.: Townley's High Life Below Stairs; Sheridan's St. Pat- 
rick's Day. 

30. A Burletta is a musical farce. 

Ex. : Lover's II Paddy Whack in Italia. 

31. An Epic Poem is the poetical recital of some 
great and heroic enterprise.* 

Ex. : Milton's Paradise Lost. 

The epic poem is by some critics considered the highest kind 
of poetry. Among the most celebraled epics of all time are 
Homer's Iliad in Greek, Virgil's ^Eneid in Latin, Tasso's Jeru- 
salem Delivered in Italian, and Milton's Paradise Lost in Eng- 
lish. No literature has reached perfection till it can boast of a 
great epic poem and a great history. 

32. A Letter is a written communication from 
one person to another. 

Ex. : Goldsmith's Letters, Lord Macaulav's Letters, the Let- 
ters of Junius. 



* The subject of the epic poem must be some one great corn- 
plea- action. The principal personages must belong to the high 
places of society, and must be grand and elevated in their ideas. 
The measure must be of a sonorous dignity, befitting the subject. 
The action is developed by a mixture of dialogue, soliloquy, and 
narrative. — Tlx o m as A mold. 



6 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



33. A Review is generally a critical examination 
of some new book or new edition. 

Ex. : Macaulay's Review of Croker's edition of BoswelVs Life 
of Johnson. 

34. A Lecture is an instructive discourse on any 
subject. 

Ex. : Father Burke's Lectures, Reed's Lectures on English 
Literature. 

35. A Speech is a discourse delivered in a court of 
justice or legislative assembly, or before any gather- 
ing of persons. 

Ex. : Grattan's Speeches, Webster's Speeches, O'Connell's 
Speeches. 

36. An Oration is a discourse of the most formal 
and elaborate, kind. ' 

Ex. : Everett's Orations. 

37. A Sermon is a discourse of a religious charac- 
ter, generally delivered by a clergyman to a congrega- 
tion in a church. 

Ex. : Newman's Second Spring. 

38. An Essay is a composition, in prose or verse, 
but generally in prose, on any particular subject. 

Ex.: Bacon's Essays, Macaulay's Essays, Brownson's Es- 
says and Reviews, Roscommon's Essay on Translated Verse. 

39. Travels give an account of a long journey. 

Ex.: Vetromile's Tour in Both Hemispheres ; Dampier's Voy- 
age Round the World. 

40. A Fiction is a story invented for some pur- 
pose. 

Prose Fictions are commonly divided into Novels and Ro- 
mances. 

41. A Novel is a work of fiction, either founded 
on events of real life, or at least bearing some resem- 
blance to them. 

Ex. : Goldsmith's Vicar of Wakefield, Dickens's David Cop- 
per field. 



DEFINITIONS. 



7 



42. An Historical Novel is one in which the 
events and personages of history are introduced un- 
der the guise of fiction. 

Ex. : Scott's Waverley Novels, Thackeray's Esmond, Dickens's 
A Tale of Two Cities. 

43. A Romance is an extravagant fiction, whose 
wild and unnatural incidents place them beyond the 
bounds of probability. 

Ex. : Walpole's Castle of Otranto. 

44. History is a written account of j>ast events. 

Ex. : Parkman's Jesuits in NortJi America, Prescott's History 
of the Conquest of Mexico, Justin MacCarthy's History of Our 
Own Times. 

Like the epic in poetry, history holds the highest place in prose 
composition. 

45. A Biography is the history of one person. 

Ex. : Bos well's Life of Dr. Johnson, Fitzpatrick's Life and 
Times of Bishop Doyle. 

46. An Autobiography is the life of a person 
written by himself. 

Ex.: Franklin's Autobiography, Trollope's Autobiography. 



BOOK I. 



CHAPTER L 
The English Language, 
introduction. 

"Words are mighty, words are living — ■ 
Serpents with their venomous stings, 
Or bright angels crowding round us 
With heaven's light upon their wings. 

Every word has its own spirit, 
True or false, that never dies : 
Every word man's lips have uttered 
Echoes in God's holy skies." 

A. A. Procter. 

"There is no impiety in saying that it was scarcely in the 
power of the Almighty to confer on man a more glorious gift 
than Language, by the medium of which He Himself has been re- 
vealed to us, and which affords at once the strongest bond of 
union and the best instrument of communication." 

F. Schlegel. 

Languages are divided into classes or families. The 
English language is a member of the great Indo- 
European family* of languages. The chief branches 
of the Indo-European family, which includes all the 
leading languages from the Himalaya mountains in 
Asia, westward to the Atlantic shores of Europe, are 
as follows : 

I. Indie or Indian. (Sanskrit, Hindustani, etc.). 

II. Iranian or Persic (Zend, Pehlevi, Parsi, Per- 
sian, and perhaps Armenian). 

III. Celtic (Irish, Welsh, Gaelic of Scotland, Bre- 
ton). 



m * This family has been called the JaplieVic, because the na- 
tions included in it are supposed to have been descended from 
Japhet, one of the sons of Nee. It is also termed the Ar'yan, 
which signifies high, noble, illustrious. 



10 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



IV. Greek (Ancient Greek, with its various dia- 
lects, and Modern Greek or Romaic). 

V. Italic (Latin, Oscan, Umbrian, and the Eo- 
mance languages, namely, Italian,- French, Provengal, 
Spanish. Portuguese, Wallachian, and Rhaeto-Ro- 
manic). 

VI. Slavo-Lettic (Russian, Lithuanian, Lettish). 

VII. Teutonic or Germanic (German, Dutch, Dan- 
ish, Swedish, Norse, English).* 

There is a close connection between language and 
literature. Some knowledge of the eventful history 
of the English tongue is needed to arrive at a clear 
understanding of English literature. The study of 
English is a precious study. The labor spent in its 
mastery will be amply rewarded. Every young person 
should resolve to acquire simple and beautiful lan- 
guage, as after early life it cannot easily be attained. 

English is one of the noblest languages with which 
the earth has ever sounded. It is spoken today in 
every quarter of the globe. It is surely destined to 
wield a preponderating influence in the future of the 
world's history and literature.f It is the key to a 



* The word mother, as written in the languages of the Indo- 
European family, gives us a glimpse at the relationship and 
curious resemblances that still exist among the many members of 
that vast family : 

Sanskrit : matri. Spanish : madre. 

Zend : mader. German : mutter. 

Celtic : mathair. Swedish : moder. 

Greek : meter. Danish : moder. 

Latin : mater. Saxon : moder. 

Italian : madre. English : -mother. 

French : mere. Russian : mat. 

f English is, doubtless, the greatest language of the future. 
It has now a firm foothold in Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and 
Australia ; and every year its outposts are extending, and the 
number of lips that speak it is increasing. Fifty years hence 
there will, very probably, be two hundred millions of people in 
the United States alone using English as their mother tongue ! 



THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 



11 



great literature enriched with the productions- of im- 
mortal genius. It is worthy of study, and love, and 
veneration, for through it we have learned to know 
God and the truths of our holy religion. 

"I consider the care of the national language/' says 
Frederick Schlegel, "as at all times a sacred trust. 
Every man of education should make it the abject of 
his unceasing concern to preserve his language pure 
and entire, to speak it, so far as is in his power, in 
all its beauty and perfection." 



LESSOR I. 

THE STORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE BRIEFLY TOLD. 

1. "What nations speak the English language? 

English is spoken by the people of Great Britain 
and Ireland, the United States of America, Canada, 
and Australia, and by many residents in India, the 
L T nion of South Africa, and other British colonies and 
dependencies. 

2. English is the mother-tongue, then, of .a great number of 
people? 

Yes: about 200,000,000 people speak English.* 



* The approximate number of people speaking at present 
(1913) the chief languages of Europe and America may be thus 
set down : 



English spoken by 200,000.000 

Russian . . " 44 100,000,000 

German " 44 87.000,000 

French 44 " 47,500,000 

Spanish 44 " 45,000.000 

Italian " " 38,000.000 

Turkish " 44 23,000.000 

Portuguese 44 44 22,000,000 

Greek " " 4,000,000 



2 



12 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



3. Was English at all times the language of England? 

iso ; it was imported in the- fifth century into that 
part of Great Britain which is known as England ; in 
its present form, or in a form more or less similar, it 
has been the language- of England for about six hun- 
dred and fifty years.* 

4. Then, it is not the first language that was spoken in Eng- 
land? 

Certainly not ; other languages have been current 
in England at different periods in history. 

5. What language was used by the early inhabitants of Eng- 
land? 

The Celtic language. 

6. Who were the Celts ?f 

The Celts were an ancient and powerful people, 
who first inhabited Western and Southern Europe, 
Great Britain, and Ireland. 

7. Who gives us the earliest historical account of the British 
Celts? 

Julius Cwsar, the celebrated Soman general and 
writer, who invaded England in the year 55 b. c. 

8. When the Romans took possession of England, did they 
attempt to force the Latin tongue $ on the inhabitants? 

Xo ; the Eomans simply held England as a province 
of the Eoman Empire, but without driving out the 
native Celts, or forcing them to change their speech. 

9. Is the Celtic language now spoken in any country? 

Yes; that ancient and venerable language is yet 
spoken in various parts of Ireland, in Wales, in the 
Scottish Highlands, and in Brittany in France. 



* After the middle of the thirteenth century the language as- 
sumed the general shape and physiognomy of the English which 
we now write and speak. It may be called, English rough-hewn. 
— Craik. 

t Sometimes written Kelts. 

t Latin was the Roman language, . 



THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 



13 



10. How long did the Romans retain possession of England? 

Nearly four hundred years. 

11. At what date did the Reman power cease in England? 

a. d. 410, after which the British Celts were left to 
govern themselves until conquered by the Angles, 
Saxons, and Jute^ 



LESSON" II. 

THE STORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, CONTINUED. 

12. At what time did the Celtic language cease to be 
the national speech of England? 

About the middle of the fifth century. 

13. "What language then took the place of the Celtic? 

The Anglo-Saxon, or tongue of the Saxon invaders. 
It was the parent of the present English.* 

14. What caused this change of language in England? 

The conquest of England by the Angles, Saxons, 
and other German tribes. 

15. Give the date of that event. 
A. D. 450. 

16. How did the Angles and Saxons so rapidly introduce their 
own language? 

Unlike the Romans, they drove out the British Celts 
with fire and sword, settled clown, and took possession 
of the country for themselves. 



* The term Anglo-Saxon, whether as applied to the language 
or to the people by whom it was spoken, must be understood to 
mean properly Saxon of England, as distinguished from Saxon of 
the Continent ; just as Anglo-Norman means Norman of Eng- 
land, as distinguished from Norman of the Continent. It is 
a compound formed on the principle of assuming Saxon as the 
name of the people and of the language, and England as that of 
the country. — Craik. 



14 LESSORS IX ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

17. Did the Angles and Saxons "become masters of all Eng- 
land? 

No, not the whole of it. They occupied all Eastern, 
Central, and Southern England, leaving Wales, Corn- 
wall, and the western coast in the hands of the ancient 
Britons. 

18. Whence came those tribes known as Angles and Saxons? 

Chiefly from Southern Sweden and from the pres- 
ent districts of Slesivick and Hoist ein, south of what 
we now call Denmark.* 

19. During what time did Anglo-Saxon continue to be the 
language of the English people and their rulers? 

Down to the time of the Nor mem Conquest — a 
period of over six hundred years. 

20. During what famous king's reign did the Anglo-Saxon 
attain its pre-eminence as a literary language? 

During the reign of Alfred the Great, which came 
to a close at the beginning of the tenth century. 

21. What effect had the invasion of the Danes on the lan- 
guage of England? 

It produced little or no change in the national lan- 
guage. 

22. How can that be explained? 

(1) England was ruled but a short time by the 
Danes. (2) In both race and speech the Danes and 
Anglo-Saxons were kindred nations. 



* The A ngles, who seem to have been the most numerous por- 
tion, established themselves in the east and north of Britain, 
but left the Scottish Highlands to their Gaelic population. The 
Saxons occupied the south and west, but left Wales and Corn- 
wall to their Cymric population. A third fraction, of far in- 
ferior numbers, the Jutes, had possession of Kent in the south- 
east of England. There is reason to believe that there was a 
difference of dialect among these settlers ; and, particularly, that 
the idiom of the Angles varied in some degree from that of the 
Saxons ; but it cannot well be doubted that they all spoke sub- 
stantially the same language. — Hartley. 



THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 



15 



LESSON III. 

THE STORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, CONTINUED. 

23. What language did William the Conqueror introduce 
into England? 

Norman-French, the dialect spoken in the north of 
France. 

24. Give the date of the Norman Conquest. 
A. D. 1066. 

25. Whence came William and his followers? 

From Normandy * in France. 

28. What did William do on taking possession of the English 
throne ? 

He placed his Norman followers in all offices of 
trust and power. The court, the nobility, the higher 
clergy, and the army were composed of Normans. 

27. In regard to language, what singular spectacle was ex- 
hibited in England at that period? 

With no line of separation but that of rank, two 
languages were spoken in the same country at the 
same time — Norman-French by the riding classes, 
Anglo-Saxon by the common people. 

28. From two races and two languages thus living side by 
side what finally resulted? 

The final result was the blending of the two races 
and the two languages. 



* The Normans (or Northmen) were a body of Scandinavian 
adventurers who, while their countrymen, the Danes, were mak- 
ing conquests in England, succeeded in establishing themselves 
on the opposite coast of France. In 912 King Charles the Simple 
ceded to Duke Rollo and his Norman followers the province which 
took from them its name of Normandy, Here they soon ceased 
to speak their own language, adopting that which was spoken 
by the native population. — Hadley, 



16 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



29. What did the blending of the Anglo-Saxon and the Nor- 
man-French produce? 

The blending of these two languages formed a com- 
pound which constitutes the foundation and frame- 
work of our present English. 

30. Was this blending process rapid? 

It was far from rapid. The growth and develop- 
ment of our present English speech was the sloiv and 
gradual result of over five hundred years of almost 
continual change. 

31. During what space of time did the Norman-French and the 
Anglo-Saxon continue without intermixing? 

From the Gorman Conquest till about the year 
11 50, or nearly a century. 

32. What is commonly called the Semi-Saxon period of Eng- 
lish speech? 

From A. d. 1150 to 1250 — a period during which 
the process of blending was very rapid. 



LESSON IV. 

THE STORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, CONTINUED. 

33. What period begins with the middle of the thir- 
teenth century? 

The earliest dawn of the English speech in its pres- 
ent form. From a. d. 1250 to 1350 is known as the 
period of Early English. 

34. What may he termed the period of Middle English? * 

From A. d. 1350 to 1500. 

35. What especially marked the growth of the languag-6 dur- 
ing the period of Middle English? 

During this period the English vocabulary was 



* Some writers desismate as Middle English the language of 
the whole period from 1150 to 1500. 



THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 17 



swelled by an immense accession of new words from 
the French. 

36. What name is usually given to such English as has been 
written since the year 1500? 

It is called Modern English* 

37. Can you point out the principal changes fcy which Anglo- 
Saxon was transformed into modern English? 

The principal changes were: (1) The loss of the 
Anglo-Saxon inflexions;! (2) Shortening the mode of 
spelling; and (3) The introduction of thousands of 
new words from the French, Latin, Greek, Celtic, 
and other languages. 

38. Is the English language no longer sub ject to change ? 

It is still subject to change. As with all things 
human, no living language ceases to change. 

39. Name two forms of this ever-changing condition of the 
English language. 

New words are invented, and gradually come into 
use ; while some old ones are dropped and forgotten. 

40. Mention one of the greatest difficulties the student en- 
counters in perusing works written in Early and Middle Eng- 
lish. 

An orthography which is often so different from the 
present mode of spelling as almost entirely to disguise 
a word. J 



* Confining ourselves to the history of the English language 
since tbe Norman Conquest, we may call the first century after 
that date its Infancy; the second its Childhood; the third its 
Boyhood ; the fourth and fifth its Youth ; and the time that has 
since elapsed its Manhood. Its Infancy and Childhood will thus 
correspond with what is usually designated the period of Semi- 
Saxon ; its Boyhood with that of Early English ; its Youth with 
mat of Middle English; and its Manhood with that of Modern 
English. — Craik. 

f For example, nouns in Anglo-Saxon had many case-endings. 
Modern English has but one case-ending, namely, the possessive 
in 's. 

t Here are a few examples of spelling in Early and Middle 
English: Englenelande (England), EnngUssh (English), Godde- 



18 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



41. Who had the honor of first giving the English language a 
good dictionary? 

Dr. Samuel Johnson, in 1755. 

42. What good did Johnson's Dictionary effect? 

It introduced greater uniformity in spelling, and 
was of inestimable value in fixing the exact meaning 
of words. 



LESSON V. 



THE COMPOSITION OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 

43. How many words are there in the English language? 

About 200,000, according to the last edition* of 
The Century Dictionary.']' 

44. What is the distinctive character of English? 

The distinctive character of English is that it is a 

COMPOSITE LANGUAGE. 

45. Explain what you mean by saying that English is a com- 
posite language. 

I mean that it is composed or compounded of 
words from many other languages. English was 
formed by the gradual blending of a greater number 
of languages, perhaps, than has ever entered into the 
formation of any other speech. 

46. Which are the chief languages of which present-day Eng- 
lish is composed? 

The foundation and framework of the language 



spelles (Gospel), sette (set), lippes (lips), tliatte (that). 
Clothed in their old dress, these well-known words look like 
strangers to the average reader of the present day. 
* Edition of 1899. 

t In the preface to Webster's New International Dictionary 
(1910), it is claimed that "the number of words printed in bold- 
faced type, together with the inflected forms that appear in 
small capitals, totals more than four hundred thousand." 



THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 



19 



are Anglo-Saxon; but it has borrowed largely from 
the Latin, French, Greek, Celtic, Danish, He- 
brew, and marry other tongues.* 

47. How may we generally distinguish the Anglo-Saxon words 
from the other words in the language? 

The Anglo-Saxon words are generally short, sim- 
ple, homely, and well fitted to express common feel- 
ings, common wants, and every-day events. 

48. Which of the articles are Anglo-Saxon? 

All the articles — a, an, and the — are Anglo-Saxon. 

49. Which of the pronouns are Anglo-Saxon? 

All the pronouns are derived from the Anglo- 
Saxon. 

50. What verbs are derived from the Anglo-Saxon? 

All the auxiliary and defective verbs, and all 

STRONG VERBS. 

51. What other two parts of speech derive nearly all their 
words from the Anglo-Saxon? 

The prepositions and conjunctions. 

52. What nouns are Anglo-Saxon? 

Nearly all the names of common things, as heat, 
cold, night, day, sun, moon: the names of the days of 
the week; the names of the various parts of the 
body ; and of all that clusters around home, mak- 
ing it dear to the heart, as father, mother, sister, 
brother, friend, child. 

53. Whence come nearly all the so-called irregularities of Eng- 
lish grammar? 

From the Anglo-Saxon. All nouns forming 



* There is perhaps no language so full of words evidently de- 
rived from the most distant sources as English. Every country 
of the globe seems to have brought some of its verbal manu- 
factures to the intellectual market of England. Latin, Greek, 
Hebrew, Celtic, Saxon, Danish, French, Spanish, Italian, German 
—even Hindustani, Malay, and Chinese words — lie mixed to- 
gether in the English dictionary. — Max Miiller. 



20 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



their plural by a change of vowel, as man, men, and 
adjectives which are irregularly compared, as bad, 
good, as well as all strong verbs, that is, those that 
form their past tense and past participle by vowel 
change and without the addition of -d, -ed, or 4, as 
sing, fall, swim, can be traced back to the language 
once spoken by the Venerable Bede and Alfred the 
Great. 

54. What may be said of the simple and direct language of 
childhood? 

It is almost wholly Saxon. 



LESSON VI. 

THE COMPOSITION OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, 
CONTINUED. 

55. Next to Anglo-Saxon, what element enters most largely 
into the composition of the English Language? 

The Latin, which has thoroughly penetrated the 
vocabulary of the English language. 

56. How came so many Latin words to find their way into 
English speech? 

(1) Through the medium of Norman-French, which 
was mainly an offshoot from the Latin. (2) Directly 
from the Latin itself by the study of theology, philos- 
ophy, and the ancient classics. It must be remem- 
bered that Latin is the official language of the Catho- 
lic Church, which for nearly a thousand years was the 
religion of England. 

57. How may words derived from the Latin generally he 
distinguished from the Anglo-Saxon ones? 

By their greater length, the Latin words being on 



THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 



21 



an average more than twice as long as the Saxon 
ones.* 

58. ^Which departments of the English vocabulary have been 
especially enriched by Latin terms? 

The greater portion of the words relating to mind, 
morals, and philosophy are from the Latin. 

59. Mention certain divisions of time the names of which are 
derived from the Latin. 

All the months of the year. 

60. Does the Latin element enter into our everyday life? 

It does. 

61. Mention some words in common use which we have drawn 
from the Latin? 

Balance, capital, currency, oil, pen, sir, wine. 

62. From what source has the English language derived much 
of its dignity and stateliness? 

From the Latin, which was once the imperial tongue 
of the world. 



LESSON VII, 

THE COMPOSITION OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, 
CONTINUED. 

63. Is the English language much indebted to the French? 

It is ; nearly all its terms of war, law, and religion 
are borrowed from the French. 

64. Mention some terms of war that come from the French. 

Armor, assault, hanner, captain, chivalry, soldier. 

* Among the thousands of English words derived from the 
Latin and the French — which is a daughter of the Latin — are 
all nouns ending in -Hon, ->sion, -ity, and most of those in -ment; 
and all adjectives ending in -able, -tble, -ary, and -ory. 



22 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

65. Mention some legal terms derived from the same source. 

Court, damages, judge. 

66. Give an instance of some religious terms derived from the 
French. 

Ceremony, devotion, penitence, prayer. 

67. In what general way has the French language influenced 
the English language? 

Much of the refined grace and delicacy of English 
is owing to its French element. 

68. What proportion of borrowed words comes from the 
Latin and French languages? 

About four- fifths* 

69. Are there many words of Celtic origin in the English 

language? 

There are perhaps 4000 words. Nearly all the 
names of places in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and many 
of those in England, are derived from the Celtic. 

70. Mention some common words derived from the Celtic. 

Bard, clan, cradle, druid, glen, shamrock. 

71. What can you say of the Greek as an element of Eng- 
lish? 

About nine-tenths of all the terms in science, art, 
and literature are borrowed from the Greek; as as- 
tronomy, barometer, geology, rhetoric, telegraph, tele- 
phone, telescope. 

72. Mention some proper names derived from the Scandinavian. 

Whitby, Rugby, and other names of places ending 
in by.f The termination -son in the names of English 
people, as Nelson, Hobson, etc., is said to be Scandi- 
navian. 



* In many instances it is difficult to determine whether a word 
of Latin origin has come to us through the French, or has been 
taken directly from the Latin. — Hadley. 

f By signifies a village or town ; hence "by-law, a -town -law, to 
distinguish it from the general law of the State or nation. 



THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 23 

73. Can you name some common words derived from the 
Scandinavian ? 

Boon, cake, droop, meek, plough, window. 



LESSON VIII. 

THE COMPOSITION OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE/ 
CONTINUED. 

74. Mention some words for which the English language is in- 
debted to the Hebrew. 

Amen, cider, jubilee, Sabbath, seraph. 

75. Give examples of words derived from the Arabic. 

Alcohol, algebra, assassin, coffee, mosque, zenith, 
zero. 

76. Mention some words derived from the Persian, 

Chess, lemon, orange, shawl. 

77. Mention some words derived from the Hindu. 

Calico, candy, jungle, punch (the beverage), sham- 
poo. 

78. Mention some words derived from the Chinese. 

Bohea, kowtow, tea. 

79. From what source does the English derive its terms in 
music and painting? 

From the Italian. 

80. Mention some words derived from the Italian. 

Cantata, cartoon, madonna, madrigal, solo, soprano, 
umbrella. 

81. Mention some words derived from the Spanish. 

Alligator, cargo, cigar, mosquito, tornado. 

82. From the Portuguese? 

Albino, dodo, fetish, marmalade, port, tank, ve- 
randa. 



24 LESSOXS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



, 83. From the Dutch? 

Boer, ooom, hoist, sloop, yacht. 

84. From the German? 

Dollar, loafer, waltz, zinc. 

85. From the American Indian? 

Moose, papoose, tomahaivTe, ivigivam, and most of 
the beautiful names of our States,, lakes, and rivers; 
as> Ohio, Ontario, Mississippi* 



Summary of Chapter I. 

1. Language is the gift of God to man. 

2. The English language is a member of the great 
Indo-European family of languages. It is spoken bv 
about 200,000,000 people. 

3. In its present form, or in a form more or less 
similar, it has been the language of England for over 
six centuries. 

4. English is not the first language that was spoken 
in England. 

5. Language, like individuals and nations, has its 
periods of childhood, youth, and maturity. 

6. The growth and development of the English 
language were the slow and gradual result of over 
500 years of almost continual change. 

7. From a. d. 1250 to 1350 is termed the period of 
Early English. 



* Some further remarks on the English language will be found 
scattered here and there, in the various Historical Introductions. 



THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 



25 



8. From 1350 to 1500 is termed the period of 
Middle English. 

9. From 1500 to the present time is termed the 
period of Modern English. 

10. Dr. Johnson gave the English language its first 
great dictionary. 

11. At present the English language contains about 
200,000 words. 

12. A greater number of languages enters into the 
formation of English than into that of any other 
speech. 

13. Anglo-Saxon constitutes the foundation and 
framework of the English language; but English 
speech has borrowed largely from the Latin, French, 
Greek, Celtic, Danish, and many other tongues. 

14. Anglo-Saxon words are generally short, simple, 
and homely. 

15. All the articles, pronouns, auxiliary, defective^ 
and strong verbs, prepositions, and conjunctions are 
Anglo-Saxon. 

16. Nearly all the names of common things are 
Anglo-Saxon. 

17. About four-fifths of all the borrowed words in 
the English language are from the Latin and French. 
From these sources it has received much of its polish, 
grace, and dignity. 

18. About nine-tenths of all English terms in art, 
science, and literature are from the Greek.* 



* Here it may be proper to note that the Scottish dialect (or 
Lowland Scotch) is an Anglian or Northumbrian speech. It 
contains very few Celtic words. 

For a fuller account of the history of the English language^ 
see Craik's Outlines of the History of the English Language and 
Shepherd's History of the English Language. 



26 



LESSONS m ENGLISH LITERATURE, 



CHAPTER IL 
Literature oe the Anglo-Saxon Period, 
a. d. 450 to 1066. 



historical introduction. 

1. Bird's-eye View of Early British History. 
— Great Britain comprises England, Scotland, and 
Wales. The Celts were the sole masters of all that 
fine island from the earliest times to the invasion of 
Julius Ccesar in the year 55 b. c. The Eoman power 
in England may be said to have extended over a 
period of nearly four hundred years, during which 
the native Celts or Britons made considerable ad- 
vancement in letters and civilization, and were even 
converted to Christianity. 

The arrival of the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, in 
a. d. 450, is the beginning of an important era in the 
history of England. Those bold invaders were roving 
pagans, * without any high development of arts, litera- 
ture, or civilization. They drove out or exterminated 
the native Celts, many of whom found a refuge in the 
mountains of Wales, or on the shores of Prance.f 



* That the Angles and Saxons were pagans, we still have a 
remarkable proof in the names which they gave to the days of 
the week, before their conversion, and retained ever since. Sun- 
day and Monday were named after the sun and the moon : Tues- 
day, after Tien, the god of the Teutons ; Wednesday, after Woden, 
the god of war; Thursday, after Thor, the god of thunder; Fri- 
day, after Freya, the northern Venus ; and Saturday, after Saeter 
(L. Saturnus, Saturn), a god of agriculture. 

t Where the exiled Britons founded a province, named, after 
them, Brittany, or Bretagne ; and there to this day can be seen 



LITERATURE OF THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD. 27 



But all this did not occur in a summer. For more 
than a hundred and fifty years the Britons maintained 
a heroic resistance against the foreign foe. 

During that period of wild conflict nearly every 
trace of Christianity and civilization was swept from 
the soil of England by the ruthless Saxon. What re- 
mained of religion and refinement sought a home in 
Wales, Cornwall, or along the western coast. Finally, 
however, after long years of bloodshed and fire-and- 
sword rule, the so-called Saxon Heptarchy was estab- 
lished in the year 586. 

The Heptarchy, during its continuance of nearly 
two centuries and a half, presents to the eye, in a 
political aspect, little else than one unvaried scene of 
war. Egbert by becoming Bretwalda, or lord para- 
mount, of the seven kingdoms, in 827, laid the foun- 
dation of the English monarchy ; but before his death 
he saw his dominions ravaged by hordes of warlike 
freebooters, called Danes* 

For over 200 years the Danes were the scourge 
of England. The bold genius of Alfred the Great 
checked them for a time ; but his successors lacking his 
watchful energy, the Danes at length became masters 
of England, the throne of which they held for about 
a quarter of a century (1013-1042), when the Saxon 
line was restored in the person of Edward the Con- 



the hardy, faithful descendants of the ancient Britons, still 
speaking the Celtic language of their forefathers. "About the 
year 458," writes Lobineau, "the inhabitants of the island of 
Britain, flying from the swords of the Saxons, gave to a portion 
of the territory of Armoric Gaul the name of Bretagne." — Hist, 
de la Bretagne. 

* In those early ages the term Danes was a common name for 
bands of roving pirates from the countries around the Baltic 
Sea. The name was not tlicn limited to the inhabitants of the 
little peninsula now called Denmark. Time makes many changes. 
The first notice of the appearance of the Danes in England oc« 
curs in the Saxon Chronicle under the «year 787. 



3 



28 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE 



fessor, at whose death, in 1066, William the Con- 
queror invaded England. 

2. Scotland from 500 to 1066. — Before the end 
of the fifth century Scotland was divided between two 
races — the Picts* and the Scots. The Picts occupied 
the northeastern provinces of Scotland, while the 
Scots — a colony from Ireland, then called Scotia — ■ 
ruled all the western portions, including the islands. 
The country was named Caledonia/]' and the language 
spoken was the Celtic. In 843 the Scots became the 
ruling race under Kenneth, who was the first king of 
the Scots and the Picts. Thereafter the Picts and the 
Scots gradually coalesced into one people.J 

3. The Christian Eeligion as the Early Civi- 
lizer of Great Britain. — The Christian Church 
was the great civilizer of Europe. With religion came 
law, refinement, and literature. Learning has ever 
found a home under the protection of the Cross ; and 
in tracing the progress of letters in Great Britain, it 
becomes necessary to say a word about the introduc- 
tion of the Christian Eeligion. 

The apostle and monastic hero of Caledonia was 
the renowned St. Columblcille. A prince of one of 
the ancient royal houses of Ireland, he began his mis- 
sionary career in Scotland by founding a monastery 
on the little isle of Iona§ in the year 563. For over 
a third of a century he traversed those wild northern 
regions — regions inaccessible to the Eoman eagle — - 
and at the sight of his miracles and preaching the 



* The Picts, like the Scots or Irish, were a Celtic race. 

t Which is still the poetic name of Scotland. 

% The name Scotland seems first to have been given to the 
united kingdom of the Picts and Soots in the tenth century. 
Ireland, it must be remembered, was the ancient Scotia, and the 
Irish the ancient Scots. 

§ It is only three miles long by about two in width. 



LITERATURE OF THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD. 29 



fierce and stubborn Picts bowed beneath the cross and 
became Christians. This royal monk laid the foun- 
dation of Christianity, civilization, and literature in 
Scotland. The remains of fifty-three of his monas- 
teries are yet to be seen. The noble figure of Columb- 
kille, poet, prince, monk, and missionary, towers aloft 
m that dim and distant age. His is'^the brightest 
name in the early annals of Great Britain. From his 
famous monastery of Iona religion and learning 
flashed their genial rays over the" neighboring king- 
doms. It was "the luminary of the Caledonian re- 
gions/' Columbkille* ended his illustrious career in 
597— the very year that St. Augustine converted the 
king of Kent. The remains of the Saint were in- 
terred at Iona, which, for over two hundred years, was 
regarded as the most celebrated spot in Europe. At 
his feet seventy kings were buried. The ninth cen- 
tury, however, had scarcely dawned, when this world- 
renowned shrine was burned and plundered by the 
Danes ; and from that time "the radiant centre 'from 
which Christian civilization shone upon the British 
Isles grew dim."f 

To St Augustine and his fortv companions— sent 
from Rome by Pope St Gregory the Great* in 597— 

form C nf7h b p ki ^ e ^° r 'i^ r ^ co "ectly, Columcille— is the Irish 

J^L? * Whlch 1S often wri tten Cohtmba 

rn\,i u, S f kmg ul Iona is thus recorded in the Annals of the 
Fou, Rasters: "The age of Christ 801. Hl-Coluim-kille (Iona) 
^^i 3limder ed by foreigners, and great numbers of the laitv and 
clergy were killed by them— namely, sixty-eight." (Vol 'i p 
411) For safety, towards the close of the same century 'the 
sacred remains of St. Columbkille were transferred to Ireland 

thlonSh th!^« t £ e + g ? eat . a « d h0ly Gregory chanced to walk 
for ^ip ^ m arket-place m Borne. He saw several young slaves 
Hp ™L a - nd - S Stru r k T- th the beaut * of th eir countenances. 
He made inquiries as to their country and religion. The slave- 
and l0 th«? r ?h^ ea Mm 1 tha , t they came from the island of Britain, 
and that thej were heatnen. "What evil luck," cried Gregory 

hpfn^ g ^fS eep Slgh ' l tIlat thp Prince of darkness should polsess 
oemgs v.th an aspect so radiant, and that the gracp of these 
countenances should reflect a soul void of the inward I gracll 



30 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



belongs the honor of having converted the kingdom of 
Kent to Christianity. The former landmarks of re- 
ligion in England had been swept away. "Here and 
there/' says Montalembert, "might be a ruined church, 
but not one living Christian among the natives." St. 
Augustine, at the invitation of the good king Ethel- 
bert, whom he had converted, fixed his see at Canter- 
bury, the capital of Kent; and there were founded 
the first Christian church, the first monaster}^ the 
first school, and the first library in the Saxon Hept- 
archy. In 601 Pope Gregory the Great sent over the 
books to form the first English library. Some of 
these manuscript volumes still existed in the reign of 
Henry VIII. ; and there is even yet preserved in one 
of the libraries of Cambridge University a Latin 
manuscript of the Gospels, which is believed to have 
been brought from Eome by St. Augustine. 

Korthumbria and the three other northern king- 
doms of the Heptarchy are indebted to Irish monks, 
from the famed monastery of lona, for religion and 
literature. St. Aidan and his Irish fellow-laborers 
established a monastery, which afterwards became 
celebrated, in the little island of Lindisfarne, now 
called Holy Island. Prom this retreat they sallied 
forth, carrying religion and learning among the pagan 
inhabitants of Northern England. The two remain- 
ing kingdoms of the Heptarchy were converted by the 
combined efforts of the Irish and Italian monks. 

Of what nation are they?" "They are Angles." was the reply. 
"They are well-named," continued Gregory, "for these Angles 
have the faces of angels ; and the«y must become the brethren of 
the angols in heaven. From what province have they been 
brought?" "From Deira" (in Northumbria) . "Still good." 
answered he. "Be ira eruti — they shall be snatched from the 
ire of God, and called to the mercy of Christ. And how name 
they the king of their country?" "Alle." "So be it: he is 
right well named, for they shall soon sing the alleluia in his king- 
dom." Gregory purchased the captive Saxons, and the purchase 
of these three or four slaves was the origin of the redemption 
of all England. — Montalembert. 



LITERATURE OF THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD. 31 



4. The Monasteries and Literature.— Eeligion 
having established its benign sway over the land, 
science and literature soon followed in its wake. In 
those days every monastery was a school, and the 
monks were the guardians of knowledge.* The prin- 
cipal religious houses had each its Scriptorium, in 
which the Sacred Scriptures, the classics, and all the 
great works of the ancients which have passed down 
to modern times were faithfully copied. y To the 
monastery prince and peasant alike went in quest of 
learning. Many of these institutions were founded 
and presided over by Irishmen, for at that time 
Ireland sent forth the most renowned scholars in 
Europe. 

In the latter part of the seventh century the Eng- 
lish monasteries made great literary progress, under 
two illustrious foreigners — St. Theodore, who became 
archbishop of Canterbury in 668, and his companion, 
the Abbot St. Adrian. The former was a native of 
Asm Minor, the latter by birth an African ; and both 
were deeply versed in all the learning of their age. 
They expounded Holy Scripture, and taught Latin, 
Greek,! mathematics, astronomy, music, and other 
sciences in the schools of Canterbury. Under these 
two monks England — for the first time — became an 
important literary centre. 

Among the monasteries which at that period ranked 



* Among the Anglo-Saxons, as well as among the Celts of Ire- 
land, Caledonia, and Cambria, monasteries were the sole centres 
of a religious and liberal education, and knowledge was there at 
o-nce much sought, very varied, and very literary. — Montalembert. 

f Without the indefatigable industry of the monks we would 
not now be able to feast on the eloquence of Cicero and Demos- 
thenes, nor be charmed" with the beautiful strains of Homer 
and Virgil. — Spalding. 

t According to Edmund Burke, it was St. Theodore who first 
introduced the study of Greek — his native language — into Eng- 
land. 



32 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



high as seats of learning were Iona, in Scotland ; Lin- 
disfarne, J arrow, Wearmouth, York, and Whitby in 
Northern, and Canterbury, Malmesbury, and Glaston- 
bury in Southern England. Wales had its great 
houses of Llancarvan and Bangor, the latter of which 
contained over 2000 monks. 

Such a blossoming of human thought, of study and 
knowledge, of poetry and eloquence, in the bosom of 
a fighting and barbarous race, still seemingly absorbed 
by wars, invasions, dynastic and domestic revolutions, 
and all the storms and blunders which characterize 
the childhood of society, is truly a touching and won- 
derful sight.* 

Anglo-Saxon scholarship culminated in the Vener- 
able Bede, and then began a decline which, unhap- 
pily, was hastened by the ravages of the Danes, who 
destroyed the churches and monasteries — the only col- 
leges of that age. 

It has been well said that the monks made Chris- 
tian Britain. "The English before their arrival/' 
writes Alban Butler, "were a barbarous nation — utter 
strangers to the very names of the sciences and the 
liberal arts. AYhen the monks first came to Britain 
the inhabitants seem not so much as to have known 
the use of letters, but to have borrowed their first 
alphabet from the Irish/' 

5. Principal Writers of This Period. — Many 

writers, some of them men of note, adorned the period 
which lies between the introduction of Christianity 
and the date of the Norman Conquest. But the 
names of Cjedmon (kad'-mon), Aldhelm, Cyne- 



* Even the Anglo-Saxon ladies were well educated, for it was to 
them that St. Aldhelm addressed his work, De Laude Virgini- 
talis (The Praise of Virginity), and St. Boniface corresponded 
with ladies in Latin. 



LITERATURE OF THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD. 33 



wulf, Bede (beed), Alcuin (al'-kwin), Alfred the 
Great, Aelfric, and WulfstajST, are the most bril- 
liant of the literary lights that shone in those past ages 
of English story. Scotland, however, produced the ear- 
liest known British writer — St. Gildas the Wise, a 
prince and monk, who was born at Dumbarton on the 
Clyde in 516. He was educated in Ireland, and died 
about the year 570. His work, written in Latin and 
entitled De Excidio Britannice y contains a sketch of 
the history of Britain from the invasion of the Bo- 
mans down to his own times. Gildas was a true Celt, 
and detested all invaders, Saxon or Roman. "The 
nefarious Saxon of detestable name," he writes, "hated 
alike by God and man — a band of devils breaking 
forth from the den of the barbarian lioness." Mon- 
talembert styles Gildas "the most trustworthy of the 
British annalists." 

6. How Prose Comes after Poetry. — The oldest 
monuments of Anglo-Saxon literature are in poetic 
form. The early literature of every nation commonly 
bursts forth in the form of songs and rude poetry. 
It is often unwritten. It is always the language of 
passion and imagination. Prose is of later growth 
than poetry. It is the form in which cultivated rea- 
son and calm judgment best find expression; and it 
attains perfection only in the more mature stages of 
language and civilization. 



LESSON" I. 
earliest axglo-saxox poetry. 

1. Where was the earliest Anglo Saxon poetry composed? 

In the ancient Engle-land, on the continent of 
Europe. It was probably not written, but was trans- 



34 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



mitted by word of mouth from one person to another 
through many generations. 

2. Did the Anglo-Saxon invaders of England bring any of this 
poetry with them? 

Undoubtedly they brought with them some of the 
bardic and other compositions which they had learned 
in their ancestral home. 

3. Has any of this poetry come down to us? 

Yes ; we have a few short pieces and fragments that 
were committed to writing long after the invaders had 
been settled in England. 

4. Name some of these pieces. 

Charms; the Fight at Finnsburh ; Waldhere; Wid- 
sith; the Complaint of Deor ; the Wanderer; the Sea- 
farer; the Wife's Complaint; the Husband's Message; 
and the Ruin. 

5. What are the Charms? 

They are incantations or prayers to be used on 
various occasions, such as the swarming of bees, 
ploughing, the undertaking of a journey, or the at- 
tempt to cure various diseases. 

6. What do you know of the Fight at Finnsburh ? 

We have only a fragment of this piece, but the fifty 
lines we do possess are animated with a fierce and im- 
passioned war spirit. They describe the attack and 
defence of a hall held by the warrior Hengest, with 
sixty retainers, against Finn, King of the North 
Frisians. 

7. How much of Waldhere do we possess ? 

Only two fragments, numbering sixty-three lines 
in all. 

8. Of what do these fragments treat? 

The first tells of the flight of Waldhere, with his love 
Hildeguthe, from the Huns, of their pursuit by Guth- 



LITERATURE OF THE AXGLO-SAXON PERIOD. 35 

here and Hagena, and of the encouragement given 
by Hildeguthe to Waldhere to fight against twelve 
warriors ; the second consists of a dialogue between 
Guthhere and Waldhere. 

9. What is the subject of Widsith? 

It gives an account of the wanderings of a bard, 
of his poetic performances, and of the honors and 
gifts bestowed on poets. It contains about 140 lines. 

10. What is the dominant note of the Complaint of Deor? 

The determination to overcome sadness. The poet 
has been dispossessed of lands and wealth and sup- 
planted in the affections of his lord by a rival, and he 
composes the poem in an attempt to console himself 
for his wrongs. It is an elegiac piece in 42 lines. 

11. What is the Wanderer? 

It, also, is an elegy. It depicts in 115 lines the 
sufferings of a man who has lost his lord, and who 
broods on the vicissitudes of human life and on the 
ruined castles which he meets in his wanderings. 

12. What do you know about the Seafarer? 

The Seafarer is about the same length as the Wan- 
derer. After telling of the hardships of the sea, it 
goes on to describe the lure it possesses for anyone 
who has once been a sailor. 

13. What is the subject of the Wife's Complaint? 

A woman has been deserted by her husband, and is 
imprisoned and sits in solitude bewailing her many 
woes. 

14. What is the Husband's Message? 

It tells of a husband who had to flee from his home, 
but who has since acquired wealth and position in a 
foreign land, and now invites his wife to come south- 
ward to join him when the spring arrives. 



36 



LESSORS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



15. Is there any connection between the Wife's Complaint 
and the Husband's Message? 

It is not certain ; but some scholars think that the 
latter is. a sequel to the former. 

16. What is the nature of the Ruin ? 

It describes a number of buildings that are now 
abandoned and are falling to decay, and reflects on the 
time when they were adorned and gay with crowds. 
Bath may be the place that is intended. 



LESSON II. 

BEOWULF. 

17. Has Anglo-Saxon literature any great Saga of its own! 

Yes ; the Saga of Beowulf. 

18. Is Beowulf an ancient poem? 

The origin of the different songs or lays about Beo- 
wulf dates back to remote antiquity. Imported into 
England, they were developed in Northumbria and 
Mercia, and by the seventh century they had attained 
a considerable degree of finish and consistency. Out 
of them the poem as a whole was composed, probably 
about the middle of the eighth century. The name of 
its author is unknown, but it is likely that he was a 
monk. 

19. How has Beowulf come down to us? 

In one tenth-century manuscript, which, after run- 
ning many risks of being lost or destroyed, is now 
preserved in the Cottonian Library in the British 
Museum in London. 

20. To what class of poetry does Beowulf belong? 

Beotuulf is in narrative form, with a fair admix- 



LITERATURE OF THE AA T GLOSAXOX PERIOD. 37 



ture of dialogue and some episodes introduced, and is 
generally regarded as an epic poem. 

21. Give a summary of its contents. 

Hrothgar, king of the Danes, builds a great hall, 
Heorot, for feasting and the distribution of treasure. 
The hall resounds each day with loud rejoicing; there 
is heard the sound of the harp and the clear song of 
the gleeman. But a fell monster named Grendel, a 
prowler about the borders of the homes of men, soon 
puts in an appearance. He enters the hall at night, 
when ail are at rest, and, seizing thirty thanes, makes 
them his prey, and hurries to his abiding place. He 
returns the next night but one and works still more 
grievous destruction. Monarch, warrior, and peasant 
tremble at the monster's name. Heorot is deserted 
and remains so for twelve years. The havoc wrought 
by Grendel becomes widely known, and at length 
. reaches the ears of Beowulf, a warrior of the Geats, 
who crosses the sea with fourteen companions to con- 
quer the man-eating fiend. Hrothgar receives him 
with great joy. Night comes, and the men seek their 
beds. When all is still Grendel arrives. He seizes 
a sleeping warrior, drinks his blood, and devours him, 
body and bones. He then attacks Beowulf, but soon 
the monster finds that he is seized in turn by a mighty 
grip. He is frightened and tries to run, but cannot, 
for the hero clings on to him tenaciously. Beowulf's 
comrades seize their swords and ply them furiously, 
but owing to a spell the weapons have no effect. After 
a fearful encounter the worsted giant swings clear, 
leaving, however, his hand, arm, and shoulder in Beo- 
wulf s grasp, and flees to his fen-lair to die. Hrothgar 
praises the victor, loads him and his men with gifts, 
and entertains them at a great feast. But the next 
night GrendeFs dam comes to avenge the death of her 



38 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



son. She slays one of Hrothgar's thanes, and snatch- 
ing up G render's arm, makes good her escape. She is 
tracked to her fearsome abode beneath the waters, and 
Beowulf descends, grapples with her, and succeeds in 
killing her by means of a wondrous sword which he 
opportunely espies among other war-gear in the mon- 
ster's subaquatic hall. He also sees Grendel's corpse, 
cuts off its head, and with this grisly trophy ascends 
to the surface. More feasting and more gift-giving 
follow, and Beowulf and his men return to their own 
land. Here Hygelac, Beowulf s uncle, is king, and 
on his death Beowulf refuses the throne, becoming 
instead guardian and adviser to the young King Hear- 
dred. Heardred is slain in battle, and Beowulf then 
becomes king of the Geats, and rules them wisely for 
fifty years. At the end of that period a dragon begins 
to lay waste the land. Taking with him eleven war- 
riors, the old hero, undaunted in spirit, sallies forth 
to do battle with this new and strange enemy, and, 
although deserted by all his followers save one, suc- 
ceeds, with the aid of this faithful retainer, in killing 
the fire-breathing dragon, but dies himself from 
wounds received in the terrific encounter. With the 
burning of Beowulf's body on a funeral pyre and the 
building of a mound to his memory, the poem comes 
to an end. 

22. Is Beowulf a long poem? 

It contains 3,18.2 lines. 

23. What is its plan of versification? 

Like all Anglo-Saxon poetry, Beowulf is indepen- 
dent of rhyme and feet, its verse-system being built 
up on accent and alliteration. Each line is in two 
sections, separated by a caesura and balanced the one 
against the other, and each section has usually two 
principal accents or stresses. The normal line has 



LITERATURE OF THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD. 39 



either one or two words or syllables in the first sec- 
tion alliterating w r ith a single word or syllable in the 
second section. All vowels may alliterate with one 
another. The number of unaccented syllables in a 
line is immaterial, but usually varies from four to 
twelve. 



LESSOR III. 

CiEDMOX. DIED 680. 
Works : Anglo-Saxon Poems on Religious Subjects. 

24. Who is the first English poet whose name we know? 

Caedmon. 

25. Who was Caedmon? 

He was a venerable monk of Whitby, who is justly 
honored with the title of "Father of Anglo-Saxon 
Song/' 

26. Is there anything remarkahle about his life? 

His life is one of the most remarkable in all litera- 
ture. From a simple cowherd he was immediately 
transformed into a gifted poet, and afterwards be- 
came a monk. 

27. Tell how it occurred. 

Up to an advanced age Caedmon was a cowherd, de- 
vout but simple and very ignorant. His natural dul- 
ness even prevented him from taking an active part in 
the evening songs and music of his rustic companions. 
One night, while he was asleep, a voice commanded 
him to sing about the creation. After some hesita- 
tion he obeyed ; and when he awoke in the morning 
the words of his song still lingered in his memory.* 

* During his slumber he heard a voice, which ea'led him by 
name and said to him, "Sing me something." Caedmon replied, 
"I cannot sing, and that is, why I have left the supper and come 



40 



LESSONS m ENGLISH LITERATURE, 



28. What is related of his life after this event? 

Through the influence of the holy princess St. Hilda 
he was received into the celebrated monastery of 
Whitby., where, as monk and poet, he spent the re- 
mainder of his days in praising God. 

29. Was his gift of poetry permanent? 

It was ; his talents and poetic faculty grew day by 
clay, and he was ever grateful for the gifts he had 
received. 

30. How did he die ? 

Having lived as a saint, "he died as poets seldom 
die." After receiving the Holy Viaticum, he made 
the sign of the cross, and gently expired at a good 
old age. 

31. Of what did his literary works consist? 

Of poems on Scriptural and other religious sub- 
jects. 

32. Explain more clearly what he versified. 

Bede tells us that Caedmon "'rehearsed the creation 
of the world, the origin of man, and all the story of 
Genesis ; the departure of Israel from Egypt and their 
entry into the promised land, together with many 
other histories from Holy Writ; the incarnation of 
our Lord, His passion, resurrection, and ascension 
into heaven ; the coming of the Holy Ghost and the 
teaching of the apostles ; moreover, he made many 



here." "No matter," said the voice, "sing." "But then, what shall 
I sing?" he replied. "Sing the beginning of the world," continued 
the voice — "sing the creation." On receiving this command, he 
at once began to sing* verses of which before he had no knowl- 
edge, but which celebrated the glory and power of the Creator, 
the eternal God, Worker of all marvels. Father of the human 
race, who had given to the sons of men the heavens for their 
roof, and the earth for their dwelling place. On awaking. 
Cffidmon recollected all that he had sung in his dream, and 
hastened to tell all that had happened to him to the farmer in 
whose service he was. — Montalembert, 



LITERATURE OF THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD. 41 



poems about the terror of the future judgment, the 
awfulness of the pains of hell, and the joy of the 
heavenly kingdom, besides a great number about the 
mercies and judgments of God/ 7 * 

33. Have all Caedmon's works come down to us? 

Xo : many poems formerly assigned to Ca^dmon are 
no longer believed by critics to be his. The only works 
now with some degree of probability attributed to him 
are : 

(1) The hymn which he is said to have sung on 
awaking from his dream; and (2) that portion of the 
paraphrase of the book of Genesis which is known as 
Genesis A in the Junian manuscript in the Bodleian 
Library at Oxford. 

34. What modern English poet, in his celebrated epic, seems 
to he much indebted to Caedmon? 

Milton, whose Paradise Lost, in more than one pas- 
sage, reveals the fact that he borrowed much from 
the writings which in the seventeenth century went 
under the name of Caedmon. The old monk of Whit- 
by sang of the revolt of Satan and Paradise Lost a 
thousand years before Milton. 

35. What does Montalembert remark of Caedmon and his 
poems? 

"Xo unworthy subject ever inspired his verse, and 
nothing in the whole history of European literature 
is more original or more religious than this first utter- 
ance of the English muse." 

36. Did Caedmon's example start a school of poetry? 

Yes; Bede tells us that others after him tried to 
make religious poems, but none could equal him, for 
he did not learn the art of song from men, nor through 



* Translated b>y Albert S. Cook, in Select Translations from 
Old English Prose. 



42 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. , 

the means of any man; rather did he receive it as a 
free gift from God. 



LESSON IV. 

ST. ALDHELM. DIED 709. 

Works: (1) The Praise of Virginity. 

(2) Anglo-Saxon Poems. (Lost.) 

37. For what is St. Aldhelm remarkable? 

He was the first of the Anglo-Saxons who became 
celebrated as a Latin author, and whose works yet 
remain. 

38. What was his social rank? 

He was a prince of the royal house of Wessex. 

39. By whom and where was he educated ? 

By the learned abbot St. Adrian, who presided over 
the celebrated school of Canterbury.* Aldhelm was 
devoted from youth to religious and literary studies. 

40 What monastery did he afterwards enter? 

The great monastery of Malmesbury, founded by 
an Irish monkf whom Aldhelm succeeded as abbot. 
He retained this dignity for thirty years, and was 
afterwards consecrated bishop of Sherborne. 

41. What may be said of his learning? 

The most learned Englishman of his time, he was a 
thorough master of Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Sacred 
Scripture, Roman law, arithmetic, astronomy, and 
music. 



* "It is yon, my beloved," wrote Aldhelm to Adrian many years 
after, "who have been the venerable teacher of my rude infancy ; 
it is you whom I embrace with the effusion of a pure tenderness, 
longing much to return to you." 

t Maildubh. 



LITERATURE OF THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD. 43 



42. What is related of his character? 

He was a man of kind and gentle heart, a diligent 
student, and led a singularly pure and austere life. 

43. What was his principal work? 

A Latin prose treatise, entitled Be Laude Virgini- 
tatis ("On the Praise of , Virginity" ) , which he after- 
wards turned into Latin hexameter verse.. 

44. Give an idea of how the subject is treated. 

Besides his own remarks, he inserts at length the 
high commendations which St. Augustine, St. Jerome, 
and other Fathers bestow on the state of virginity, 
and gives abridged examples of many holy virgins. 

45. What is said of his style? 

While his matter is always good, the same cannot 
be said of his style, which is stiff and labored. He 
has neither the fiery originality of Caedmon nor the 
free and elegant simplicity of Bede.* 

46. Did he compose anything in his native Anglo-Saxon? 

He was the author of many popular Anglo-Saxon 
poems, which have since been lost.y 



* The following serious but beautiful passage is from one of 
Aklhelm's letters to his dear friend AcircAus, a Northumbrian 
chief : "Let not the sound of the last trumpet depart from your 
ears : let it recall to you day and night the Book of the Law, 
which ought to be meditated day and night. You will never sin 
if you think always of your last end. What is our prosperity 
here below? — a dream, a vapor, the foam on the sea. God grant 
that the possession of present good may not hold to us the place 
of future recompense ; and that the abundance of that which 
perishes may not be followed by the death of that which endures. 
I ask this for you and for myself, from Him who for us has 
hung upon the cross." 

t Alfred the Great styled St. Aldhelm "the prince of Anglo- 
Saxon poetry." 

Eight centuries after St. Aldhelm's death his feast was still 
celebrated at Malmesbury by such a crowd of worshippers that, 
according to Camden, the presence of a troop of soldiers was 
necessary to prevent disorder. Then came the confiscation of the 
monasteries by Henry VIII., with its usual train of devastations. 
The magnificent church of Malmesbury would have been razed to 



4 



44 



LESSONS IX ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



LESSON V. 

CYNEWULF. 

Works : Juliana. 
Crist. 

The Fates of the Apostles. 
EJene. 

47. "Who was the founder of the second school of Christian 
poetry in England ? 

Cynewulf. 

48. Who was Cynewulf? 

He was a Northumbrian of the latter part of 
the eighth century, who passed part of his early 
life as a Scop or poet in the household of a chief- 
tain, and was afterwards a wandering singer. He ap- 
pears to have lived a wild life as a young man, but, 
misfortune coming on him, he took thought unto him- 
self for the evil of his way. This repentance was true 
and deep, and in the Cross he felt that he had found 
forgiveness. 

49. Which are Cynewulf s principal works? 

The works that we know to be his, because he signed 
his name to them in Eunic letters, are Juliana; 
Crist; the Fates of the Apostles; and Elene. Other 
works assigned to him with a good deal of probability 
are Riddles; Phoenix; the Life and Death of St. Guth- 
lac; Andreas; the Dream of the Rood; and a frag- 
ment of a Descent into Hell. 

50. What is the character of these poems? 

All except the Riddles are of a religious character. 



the ground had not a weaver bought it from the king to establish 
his looms there. The monastery was sacked. The previous 
manuscripts of the library were long employed to fill up broken 
windows in the neighboring houses, or to light the bakers' fires. — 
Montalembert. 



LITERATURE OF THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD. 45 



51. Where are these poems preserved? 

Some in the Exeter Book, others in the Vercelli 
Book — two great collections of manuscript poems and 
prose works which adorn the Exeter Cathedral Li- 
brary in England and the Capitular Library at Ver- 
celli in Italy, respectively. 

52. Which is generally regarded as Cynewulf s best work? 

Most of his poems are good, and it is difficult to 
decide between them, but of the signed works the 
palm is generally awarded to Elene. 

53. What is the subject of Elene? 

The finding of the True Cross by the Empress 
Helena. Its strongest parts are the description of 
Constant! ne's battle with the Huns and of the voyage 
of Saint Helena. 

54. Of the unsigned poems attributed to Cynewulf, which is 
the best? 

The Dream of the Rood is a magnificent poem. It 
is instinct with glorious imagination, and is all aglow 
with deep religious feeling. 

55. What is Cynewulf's standing in the History of English 
literature ? 

Cynewulf was without doubt a true and a great 
poet.* 



* "The time is coming when his name will be more highly 
honoured among us. and his poetry better known. He had imagi- 
nation ; he anticipated, at a great distance, the Nature-poetry of 
the nineteenth century, especially the poetry of the sea ; his per- 
sonal poetry, full of religious passion both of penitence and joy, 
makes him a brother of the many poets who in England have 
written well of their own heart and of God in touch with it. 
His hymnic passages of exultant praise ought to be translated 
and loved by all who cherish the Divine praise, which from gen- 
eration to generation has been so nobly sung by English poets. 
The neroic passages in his poems link us to our bold heathen 
forefathers, and yet are written by a Christian. Their spirit is 
still the spirit of England. But his greatest hero was Jesus 
Christ. Cynewulf was, more than any other Old English poet, 
the man who celebrated Christ as the Healer of men. and, be- 
cause he was the Healer, the Hero of the New Testament." — 
Stonford A. Brooke, in Chambers's Cyclopwdia of English Litcr- 
aiut e. 



46 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



LESSON VI. 

ST. BEDE, COMMONLY CALLED "THE VENERABLE/' 
DIED 735. 

Works: (1) The Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation. 
(2) Fort y- four other works. 

56. What may be saiu of the Venerable Bede's rank in litera- 
ture? 

"The Venerable Bede is one of the most striking fig- 
ures in the literature of the whole Anglo-Saxon pe- 
riod. He is often called the "Father of British His- 
tory" and the "Father of English Learning." 

57. What does the word Bede signify? 

Bede, in Anglo-Saxon, means prayer. 

58. Where was he born? 

In the north of England, near the mouth of the 
Tyne. 

59. Where did he receive his education? 

In the monastery of Jarrow, in which he lived from 
his seventh year up to the date of his death. 

60. To what Religious Order did he belong? 

He was a Benedictine monk, and was ordained dea- 
con in his nineteenth year, and priest at thirty. 

61. How did he spend his life? 

In the quiet of his monastery, where he tells us the 
delight of his life was "to learn, to teach, and to 
write." He modestly shunned all honors, cared only 
for virtue and knowledge, and was one of the hest 
examples of the perfect student in all history. 

62. For what was he especially renowned during his life-time? 

As one of the greatest educators in Europe. He 
daily gave instruction to over 600 monks; and some 



LITERATURE OF THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD. 47 



of the most illustrious men of his age considered it 
an honor to say that they had been Bede's pupils. 

63. What honorable rank does he hold in the Church? 

The Venerable Bede is one of the Fathers of the 
Church. 

64. Is there anything singular about the manner of his death? 

It is one of the most touching and beautiful in the 
history of mankind. Having lived as a saint and 
scholar, he died as he had lived — at his work.* 



LESSOX VII. 

VENERABLE BEDE, CONTINUED. 

65. Which is the principal work of the Venerable Bede? 

The Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, 

66. Of what does this excellent work treat, and how is it 
divided? 

Its name indicates its subject. It is divided into 
five books. The first gives a description of Britain, 
and carries the history of events from the invasion of 



* Bede's last days were devoted to the translation of the 
Gospel of St. John into Anglo-Saxon. Even severe illness could 
not prevent his pushing on the work with the help of a young 
secretary. The evening before the Feast of the Ascension. 735, 
it was all completed except a few lines. "Most dear master," 
whispered the young monk, "there is still one sentence un- 
written." "Write quickly," answered Bede. A few minutes 
passed, and the other remarked. "It is now done." "You have 
well said," replied the dying Bede. "It is now done ; indeed, all 
is finished ! Dear child, hold my head that I may have the 
pleasure of looking towards the little oratory where I was wont 
to pray ; and that while I am sitting I may call upon my 
Heavenly Father and sing. 'Glory be to the Father, and to the 
Son, and to the Holy Ghost.' " And as the last word passed 
from his lips, the Venerable Bede breathed his soul to God. He 
was 63 years of age. His English Gospel of St. John has, un- 
fortunately, not come down to us. All his other works are in 
Latin, 



LESSON'S IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



Julius Caesar in 55 b. c. down to A. d. 603. ( The re- 
maining four books bring the history down to the 
year 731, four years before the death of Bede.* 

67. In what language did Bede write nearly all his books? 

In Latin. His Church History has often been 
translated into English. 

68. Of what do most of his other works treat? 

The majority of them were commentaries on Holy 
Scripture and various other theological topics. 

69. On which of the sciences did he write treatises? 

All the sciences of his age and every branch of lit- 
erature were handled by the Venerable Bede. He 
wrote works on astronomy, philosophy, chronology, 
music, geography, arithmetic, medicine, grammar, and 
rhetoric, f 

70. What are the merits of his Church History? 

It is a book unrivalled among the early historical 
works of Christianity. 

71. What may be further said of Bede's scholarship? 

He was an almost universal genius. As a critic, he 
was just, able, and penetrating. As a writer, both 
prose and poetry were equally within his grasp. And 
taking him all in all, he is "the brightest ornament of 
the English nation." 



* In the preface Bede touchingly writes : "I entreat all those of 
our nation who read this History, or hear it read, to recommend 
often to the Divine mercy the infirmities of my body and of my 
soul. Let each man in his province, seeing the care which I 
have taken to note down everything that is memorable or agree- 
able to the inhabitants of each district, pay me back by praying 
for me." * 

t Here is the touching prayer with which that venerable 
scholar ends the list of his literary labors : "O good Jesus, who 
hast deigned to refresh my soul with the sweet streams of 
knowledge, grant that I may one day mount to Thee who art 
the source of all wisdom, and remain forever in Thy divine pres- 
ence." 



LITERATURE OF THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD. 49 



72. What does the Protestant writer Bayle say of Bede? 

Bayle remarks that in eloquence and copiousness of 
style he was unsurpassed, and that there is scarce any- 
thing in all antiquity worthy to be read which is not 
found in Bede.* 



LESSON" VIII. 

ALCUIN. DIED 804. 

Works: (1) Epistles and Poems. (Latin.) 

(2) Numerous Theological Works. (Latin.) 

73. Who was Alcuin? 

After the Venerable Bede, he was perhaps the most 
renowned scholar of the Anglo-Saxon period. 

74. Where was he born and educated? 

He was a native of York, of a noble family, and 
received his education in the great monastic school of 
that city. 

75. What state of life did he embrace? 

It is not quite certain whether he was a secular or a 
regular priest ; but the most probable opinion is that 
he was a Benedictine monk. 

76. Where did he first obtain renown as a great teacher and 
scholar ? 

In the celebrated. monastic school of his native city. 

77. At the court of what famous emperor did he afterwards 
spend the greater portion of his life? 



* The monastic sanctuary towards which the dying look of 
Bcde was turned still remains in part, if we may believe the best 
archaeologists, and his memory has survived the changes of time. 
An old oaken chair is still shown which he is supposed to have 
used. Tt is the only existing relic of this great saint. * * * His 
relics at Durham were an object of veneration to the faithful up 
to the general profanation under Henry VIII., who pulled down 
the shrine and threw the bones on a dunghill, along with those 
of all the other holy apostles and martyrs of Northumberland. — 
Montalembert, 



50 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



That of the Emperor Charlemagne, at whose re- 
peated entreaties he went to Aachen, where he estab- 
lished the greatest school in Europe. 

78. How did Charlemagne honor Alcuin? 

He honored him as his special friend, counsellor, 
and teacher, "and usually called him his master." 

79. How long did he live on the continent? 

From about 780 up to the date of his death, which 
occurred at Tours in 804. Alcuin's great learning 
adorned a foreign country, but the glory is not lost 
to his native land. 

80. "Which are his principal works that belong to literature? 

His letters and poems — all in Latin. The former 
— about two hundred in number — are generally ad- 
dressed to kings, queens, prelates, and other high 
personages.* 

81. What may be said of his poems? 

For a rude, unpoetical age, his poems are very beau- 
tiful both in thought and diction. 

82. How may we sum up his character as a man, a scholar, 
and a prose writer? 

As a man he was remarkable for his singular mod- 
esty, piety, and good sense ; as a scholar his learning 
was extensive and profound ; but as a prose writer his 
style is often commonplace and redundant. 



* In a letter to the monks of Jarrow, Alcuin writes : "Remem- 
ber the nobility of your fathers, and be not the unworthy sons of 
such great ancestors ; look at your many books, at the beauty of 
your churches and monastic buildings. Let your young men 
learn to persevere in the praises of God, and not in driving foxes 
out of their holes, or wearing out their strength running after 
hares. What folly to leave the footsteps of Christ, and run after 
the trail of a fox ! Look at the noblest doctor of our country, 
Bede ; see what zeal he showed for knowledge from his youth, 
and the glory which he has received among men — though that 
is much less important and less dazzling than his reward before 
God. Stir up, then, the minds of your sleepers by his example. 
Study his works, and «you will be able to draw from them, both 
for yourselves and others, the secret of eternal beauty." 



LITERATURE OE THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD. 51 



LESSOX IX. 

ALFRED THE GREAT. DIED 901. 

Works : (1) Original Works. 
(2) Translations. 

83. What is this celebrated prince's rank in Anglo-Saxon 
literature? 

Alfred, the greatest of the kings of England, stands 
pre-eminent as a writer of Anglo-Saxon prose. He is 
often called the "Father of English Prose.^ 

84. For what was he remarkable in boyhood? 

In boyhood he was distinguished for beauty of per- 
son, graceful manners, and early display of talent. 

85. What is related of his education? 

Owing to the disturbed state of the times he was 
twelve years of age before he was taught to read. He 
was a most diligent student, but did not find time 
during his busy career to study Latin until he was 
forty. He afterwards became one of the best Latin 
scholars of his day. 

86. At what age did he ascend the throne? 

He became king at the age of twenty-two, and 
reigned for thirty years, the first half of which were 
spent in battling with the fierce and warlike Danes. 

87. What characteristics did he admirably unite in one per- 
son? 

In this wonderful man were united the qualities of 
the saint, the soldier, the scholar, and the statesman 
in a most eminent degree. 

88. What great literary work did he perform for the good of 
his people? 

Having restored peace to his kingdom, his next ob- 
ject was to bestow upon his people the benefits of 
knowledge. For this purpose he translated a number 
of excellent Latin works into his native Anglo-Saxon. 



52 



LESSONS IX ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



89. Mention the principal works which he translated from the 
Latin. 

(1) The Cura Pastoralis* of St. Gregory the 
Great ; (2) Bedels Ecclesiastical History of the Eng- 
lish Nation; (3) the History of the World, by Oro- 
sius; (4) Be Consolatione Philosophic, by Boethius; 
(5) the Soliloquia of St. Augustine; and (6) the 
Psalms of David. 

90. What is related of Alfred in connection with two of these 
works? 

To each of his bishops he sent a copy of his transla- 
tion of Gregory's Cura Pastoralis, because it was a 
manual of the duties of the clergy, and in his bosom 
he always carried a copy of the Consolations of Phil- 
osophy, by Boethius. 

91. Was Alfred a good translator? 

He was a translator of rare excellence. 

92. What can you say of his original productions? 

Some of these are now lost. Those that have come 
down to us are (1) the Preface to the Cura Pastoralis 
and (2) some Verses added at the end of it; (3) some 
insertions in the History of Orosius, notably the nar- 
ratives of two voyagers, Ohthere and Wulfstan; and 
(4) long passages added to Boethius. 

93. What praise do critics award to his style? 

His style is marked by ease, simplicity, and ele- 
gance. 

94. What is said of Alfred's general scholarship? 

Though he began his serious studies somewhat late 
in life, he was before his death, which occurred in 



* Referring to the manner in which he transited this work, 
the great king says, with edifying simplicity : "Sometimes by 
word of mouth, and sometimes according to the sense, as I 
had learned it from Plegmnnd my Archbishop, and Asser my 
Bishop, and Grimbald my Mass-priest, and John my Mass-priest." 



LITERATURE OF THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD. 53 



his fifty-second }^ear, the ablest writer and perhaps 
the most learned man in his kingdom.* 



LESSON X. 

AELFRIC C. 955 — C. 1022. WULFSTAN d. 1023. 

95. Did Alfred the Great's example lead to the immediate 
development of Anglo-Saxon prose? 

Xo ; except for the entries in the Chronicle, and one 
or two translations, there was no immediate develop- 
ment of Anglo-Saxon prose. 

96. Who was the reviver of Anglo-Saxon prose? 

Aelfric. 

97. Who was Aelfric? 

He was a great educator, the assimilator, collector, 
and distributor of learning, the Bede of his own age. 

98. State briefly the facts of Aelfric's life. 

He was born about 955, was educated at Winchester, 
and was successively abbot of the monasteries of Cerne 
Abbas and of Eynsham. He spent his life in learn- 
ings teaching, and writing. 

99. What are his principal works? 

(1) Homilice Catholicw, two collections of homilies 
in Anglo-Saxon prose, forty in each collection, on the 

* Speaking of Alfred the Great, Edmund Burke truly says : 
"One cannot help being amazed that a prince who lived in such 
turbulent times, who commanded personally in fifty-four pitched 
battles, who had so disordered a province to regulate, who was 
not only a legislator, but a judge, and who was. continually 
superintending his armies, his navies, the traffic of his kingdom, 
his revenues, and the conduct of all his officers, could have be- 
stowed so much of his time on religious exercises and speculative 
knowledge : but the exertion of all his faculties and virtues 
seemed to have given a mutual strength to all of them. Thus all 
historians speak of this prince, whose whole history was one 
panegyric : and whatever dark spots of human frailty maiy have 
adhered to such a character, they are all entirely hid in the 
splendour of his many shining qualities and grand virtues, that 
throw a glory over the obscure period in which he lived, and 
which is for no other reason worthy of our knowledge." — 
Abridgment of English History. 



54 LESSONS IjST ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



Sundays and feast-days of the year; (2) a Grammar', 
(3) a Glossary; (4) a Colloquium; (5) Passiones 
Sanctorum, another collection of homilies; (6) a 
translation of parts of the Old Testament, namely, 
Genesis I — XXIV, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, 
Judges, Esther, Job, and Judith; (7) Canones Ael- 
frici; in Latin, addressed to the clergy; (8) a treatise 
Concerning the Old and New Testament; (9) Vita 
Aethelwoldi; in Latin : (10) Sermo ad Sacerdotes, in 
Latin, which he afterwards translated into Anglo- 
Saxon; (11) various other Homilies in addition to 
those named. 

100. What have you to say of Aelfric's Anglo-Saxon style? 
Aelfric created a new, more adaptable, and more 

musical prose, and made it a fitting vehicle for the 
expression of thoughts on an expanding number of 
subjects. The fault of his style is that it is too highly 
alliterative : in his Homilies in particular he is greatly 
addicted to this putting of prose into poetic form. 

101. Did Aelfric's works bear much fruit? 

Yes; clergy, nobles, and people were all benefited 
by his writings, and great educational and literary ac- 
tivity resulted from his example and encouragement. 

102. What political event helped materially to put down 
this activity which Aelfric had set on foot? 

The terrible raids of the Danes in the early part of 
the eleventh century. 

103. "What remarkable Anglo-Saxon work do we owe to these 
ravages of the Danes? 

Sermo Lupi ad Anglos quando Dani maxime per- 
secuti sunt eos. 

104. Who was the author of this sermon or discourse? 

Wulfstan. 

105. Who was Wulfstan? 

He was Bishop of Worcester, and afterwards Arch- 
bishop of York. 



LITERATURE OF THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD. 55 



106. What is the style of his Sermo? What is its subject? 

It is written in vigorous Anglo-Saxon prose. It 
describes the Danish invasion, and passionately and 
indignantly blames the sins and cowardice of the 
English for the calamities which they were suffering. 

107. Did Wulfstan write anything else? 

Yes ; he wrote some Homilies. 



LESSOX XL 

THE ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE. 

108. What is the last literary monument of the Anglo-Saxon 
language ? 

The Anglo-Saxon or Old English Chronicle. 

109. What is the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, and what period of 
English history does it cover? 

It is a chronological record of the most notable his- 
torical events in England from 60 b. c. down to the 
end of the reign of King Stephen in a. d. 1154. 

110. How did the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle originate? 

In records of yearly happenings kept by monks. 
These entries were meagre and mostly local, until 
Alfred tire Great took the Chronicle up and made it 
a full national history. After Alfred's death it was 
continued with varying degrees of fulness until it ab- 
ruptly concludes in 1154. 

111. In what language is it written? 

Ill Anglo-Saxon prose^ with an occasional insertion 
of Anglo-Saxon verse. 

112. From what sources were the early portions of the Anglo- 
Saxon Chronicle taken? 



56 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



From various trustworthy sources; but the early 
portion is, in the main, a compilation from Bede's 
Ecclesiastical History. 

113. During what time may the Chronicle be regarded as a 
register of contemporary events? 

From about a. b. 891 to 1154. 

114. By whom was the Chronicle continued after the death 
of Alfred! 

It was continued by the monks in several of the 
great monasteries of England. 

115. How many genuine copies of this ancient and valuable 
historical work yet exist in manuscript? 

Six. 

116. What may be said of the style in which the Chronicle is 
written ? 

The style is somewhat dry and inelegant, the pious 
writers aiming at brevity, truth, and accuracy ot state- 
ment rather than at mere beauty of diction.* 

117. What is the historical value of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 1 

Its historical value can scarcely be overestimated. 
It is the most ancient history of England in the ver- 
nacular, giving us, in a series of unadorned pen-pic- 



* Here are a few entries translated into English : 

"a. d. 457. At this time Hengest and Aesc his son fought 
against the Britons at the place which is called Crayford, and 
there slew four thousand men. And then the Britons forsook 
Kent-land, and with much dismay fled to London-town." 

"a. d. 690. This year Archbishop Theodore died. He was 
bishop for twenty-two years, and he was buried at Canterbury. 
Berthwald succeeded to the bishopric. Before this the bishops 
had been Romans, but from this time they were English." 

"a. d. 793. In this year dire forewarnings came over the land 
of the Northumbrians, and miserably terrified the people. 
Mighty whirlwinds and lightnings there were, and in the air 
were seen fiery dragons. A great famine soon followed these 
signs ; and a little after that, in the same year, on the VI of the 
Ides of January, the havoc of heathen men wickedly destroyed 
God's church at Lindisfarne. through rapine and slaughter." 

The "heathen men" were the Danes. 



LITERATURE OF THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD. 57 



tures, nearly all the knowledge we possess of the early 
social life and institutions of that nation. 

Summary of Chapter II. 

1. The Angles, Saxons, and other German tribes 
took forcible possession of the greater part of Eng- 
land in a. d. 450 ; hence the name England, which sig- 
nifies land of the Angles. 

2. For over a century after this event the history 
of England is written in blood. 

3. The foundation of the so-called Saxon Hep- 
tarchy, or seven kingdoms, dates from a. d. 586. 

4. Egbert founded the English monarchy by be- 
coming lord paramount over the various kingdoms of 
the Heptarchy, a. d. 827. 

5. The Catholic Church converted and civilized all 
the nations in which Christianity is professed to-day. 
Religion came first, and was followed by law, refine- 
ment, and literature. 

6. St. Columbkille founded the first monastery in 
Scotland, and established religion, literature, and civi- 
lization in that country. 

7. St. Augustine, a Benedictine monk, began the 
conversion of the English nation in a. d. 597. He laid 
the foundation of learning, literature, and civilization 
in England. 

— 8. Pope Gregory the Great gave the English peo- 
ple their first library in a. d. 601. 

9. In those early ages the monasteries were the 
only schools and colleges, and the monks were the 
only guardians of learning and literature. 

10. The most renowned institutions of learning in 
Great Britain, during the Anglo-Saxon period, were 



58 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



the monastery of Iona in Scotland, the monasteries 
of Lindisfarne, Wearrnouth, Jarrow, York, Whitby, 
Malmesbury, and Glastonbury in England, and Llan- 
carvan and Bangor in Wales. 

11. Many writers of note appeared between the in- 
troduction of Christianity and the Norman Conquest. 

12. The chief of these were Gildas, Caedmon, Aid- 
helm, Cynewulf, Bede, Alcuin, Alfred the Great, Ael- 
fric, and Wulfstan. 

13. Bede is the most illustrious name in the litera- 
ture of the Anglo-Saxon period. 

14. The greatest historical production of this period 
is Bede's Ecclesiastical History. 

15. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is the most ancient 
history of England in the vernacular, and the last 
production written in Anglo-Saxon.* 



CHAPTER III. 
Literature of the Norman Period, 
a. d. 1066 to 1350. 
From the Norman Conquest to the Age of 
Chaucer. 



historical introduction. 

1. Glances at the History of England, a. d. 
1066 to 1350. — The period we are about to consider 
covers nearly three centuries. The death of Edward 
the Confessor, the last of the Saxon kings, was soon 



* For a fuller account of tbe literature of the Anglo-Saxon 
Period, see The Development of English Literature by Brother 
Azarias, Vol. I. 



LITERATURE OF THE NORMAL PERIOD. 59 



followed by the hard-fought and decisive battle of 
Hastings. The flower of England's nobility fell on 
that blood-stained field. Norman skill and valor had 
triumphed, and William, henceforth known as the 
Conqueror, was crowned king of England in West- 
minster Abbey. The Confessor, just before his death, 
had completed that world-famous structure. He was 
the first of England's rulers interred within its sacred 
walls ; and the first crowned within it was Harold, the 
competitor for the English kingdom against the Nor- 
man Duke.* 

Eleven kings reigned during this period, the most 
remarkable of whom were William the Conqueror, 
Henry II., Richard the Lion-hearted, and Edward 
III. The chief events were the nine Crusades, in 
which two English kings took a part ; the murder of 
St. Thomas a BecJcet; the invasion of Ireland; the 
signing of the Magna Charta; the first representative 
Parliament; the conquest of Wales and Scotland; and 
the battles of Bannockburn and Crecy. 

2. Effects of the Normal Conquest. — With the 
Norman Conquest came a new order of things— po- 
litical, social, and literary. It is true that the nation 
at large, the great body of the people— about two 
millions m number— remained unchanged. Saxons, 
Englishmen, they still were. But William suffered 
no Englishman to hold any place of trust or honor. 
The court, the nobility, the superior clergv, and the 
army were composed of Nor mans. The uncouth Sax- 

wl;^- ea f Iy as «2i° a chlirch and monastery had been founded at 
S^wllr i P? S° dest monastic colony/' says Montalem 
bert, established itself on a frightful and almost inaccessible 
/ lJ n m middle of a aee P marsh, on an islet formed by an arm 
wnJ.on 5 a ^ es ' and r ?° covered with briers and thorns that it 
was called Thomey Island. From its position to the west of Lon- 
don it took a new name, destined to rank among the most fa- 
mous m the world— that of Westminster, or monastery of the 
West."-— The Monks of the West. 



5 



60 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



ons were left to till the soil, to raise cattle ; in short, 
to be the humble "hewers of wood and drawers of 
water" to their strange rulers. The Conqueror was a 
hard master. At eight o'clock each evening the sound 
of the curfew, which "tolled the knell of parting day," 
warned the people to extinguish their lights and re- 
tire to rest. They were to beware of killing a stag, 
boar, or fawn; for an offence against the forest-laws 
they should lose their eyes. They had nothing of all 
their property assured them, except as an alms, or on 
condition of tribute, or by taking the oath of homage, 
Here a free Saxon proprietor was made a body-slave 
on his own estate. The Normans sold them, hired 
them, worked them on joint account like an ox or an 
ass. The Normans would not and could not borrow 
any ideas or customs from such boors; they despised 
them as coarse and stupid. They stood among them 
superior in force and culture, more versed in letters, 
more expert in the arts of luxury. They preserved 
their own manners and their own speech.* 

The Norman baron erected his strong castle on 
some elevation, and lorded it over his district. Feu- 
dalism was introduced, and a new legislature, known 
as a parliament, or talking-ground, took the place of 
the Saxon witenagemot, or assembly of the wise. In- 
deed, the Norman conquest was one of the most com- 
plete in all history. 

But while William and his successors governed the 
country with despotic sway, they failed not to elevate 
it in the rank of nations. If they stripped it of its 
liberty and many temporal advantages, it must be 
owned that by their valor they raised the reputation 
of its arms, and deprived their native Normandy of its 
greatest men, both in Church and State, with whom 



* Taine. 



LITERATURE OF THE NORMAN PERIOD. 



61 



they adorned England. Being at once dukes of Nor- 
mandy and kings of England, they introduced the 
latter within the circle of continental nations; and 
by their efforts the land of Bede and Alfred, for the 
first time in history, obtained an important voice in 
the councils of Europe. In truth, the Norman Con- 
quest was to England a blessing in disguise— an event 
to which much of the future greatness of that nation 
may be traced. 

3. Religion and Liberty. — The despotism estab- 
lished by William the Conqueror, and continued by 
his immediate successors, reached its climax in the 
reckless reign of King John. His idiotic tyranny be- 
came unendurable. The Barons, under the direction 
of Cardinal Langton, formed a powerful league for 
the purpose of obtaining a lasting guarantee as securi- 
ty for the rights and privileges of the Church and the 
people. Cardinal Langton "administered to them an 
oath, by which they bound themselves to each other 
to conquer or die in defence of their liberties." 

The Barons and the Cardinal* met John on the 
famous plain of Run'nymede.^ There, in 1215, they 
compelled the king to sign the celebrated document 
called Mag'na Char' 'to, J which established the suprem- 
acy of the law over the will of the monarch, and 
which, to this day, is regarded as the basis of English 
liberties. 

* Stephen Langton was born in England about the middle of 
the twelfth century, and was educated at the University of Paris, 
of which he rose to be Chancellor. He was elevated to the 
dignity of Cardinal and appointed to the See of Canterbury in 
1207, by his former friend and fellow-student, Pope Innocent III. 
It is well to remember that the name of the patriotic Cardinal 
Langton is the first in the list of subscribing witnesses on Magna 
Charta. He died in 1228. 

f Runnymede is a long stretch of green meadow, lying along 
the right bank of the river Thames, near Windsor, about twenty 
miles from London. 

i Great Charter. A copy of it was sent to every cathedral, 
and ordered to be read publicly twice a year. 



62 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

The signing of the Great Charter, in which the na- 
tion at large had an interest, served to bring closer 
together, if not entirely to unite, the hitherto divided 
Norman and Saxon. It is the starting-point from 
which we can fairly date the beginning of that com- 
mingling and consolidation of races and languages 
which in time become known to us as the English 
People and the English Language. 

4. Other Events. — Henry III., the son of John, 
struggled hard to abolish the privileges forced from 
his father, and to crush the power of the nobles. It 
was in his reign that the wants and dissensions of the 
time led to a meeting or conference of representative 
men, which may be regarded as the origin of popular 
representation in the English Parliament. Edward 
I., the last of England's kings who performed deeds 
of valor on the plains of Palestine, on being called 
to the throne, turned his arms against the Welsh and 
the Scots under Wallace, subduing both countries. 
But, after his death, the heroism of Robert Bruce and 
the celebrated victory of Bannockburn, in 1314, anni- 
hilated the power of England in North Britain. Years 
had been employed in forging the fetters of Scotland. 
One battle made her free and independent. The year 
1350 brings us to the age of Chaucer and the long 
and brilliant reign of Edward III. — a period at which 
we shall glance in our next Historical Introduction. 

5. The Crusades and their Influence on Man- 
ners, Commerce, Learning, and Literature. — The 
Crusades were the great events of the Middle Ages.* 
It would not be easy to understand the spirit or liter- 
ature of those remote times, or the history of the 
world since, without some knowledge of the bearing 



* The Crusades were military expeditions set on foot under the 
banner of the cross for the purpose of delivering the Holy Land 



LITERATURE OF THE NORMAN PERIOD. 



63 



which those mighty achievements had on the progress 
of Europe. It was in those distant days— well named 
"the heroic ages of Christianity" — that over each 
castle chimney, carved in oak, might be seen the sim- 
ple but sublime motto : "There is only this — Fear 
God and Keep His Commandments/' 

It was then that chivalry reigned, the distinctive 
qualities of which were bravery, piety, and modesty. 
The Catholic knight was the hero of the "Ages of 
Faith." But it has been well said that with the vir- 
tues of chivalry were associated a new and purer 
spirit of love, an inspired homage for genuine female 
worth, which was now revered as the acme of human 
excellence, and, maintained by religion itself under 
the image of a Virgin Mother, infused into all 
hearts a mysterious sense of the purity of love.* 

The foreign commerce of modern Europe dates 
from the Crusades, which recovered, reopened, and 
multiplied the ancient trading routes of the Mediter- 
ranean and the East. 

The earlier revival of letters, which had occurred 
some time previously, received a mighty impulse from 
those historic enterprises which aroused the heart 
and the intellect of Christian Europe. Greek learning 
and literature were transported to the West, and 
studied with avidity. The arts were likewise revived. 
That lofty style of Christian architecture known as 
the Gothic originated about the time of the Crusades. 



from the oppressive yoke of the Mahometans. The soldiers wore, 
as a mark of their engagement, a cross made of red stuff, and 
commonly fastened on the right shoulder ; hence the names 
Crusade and Crusader. The Crusades were nine in number, 
and extended from 1095 to 1272. It was in the third Crusade 
that the English King, Richard Cceur de Lion, or the Lion- 
hearted, performed the prodigies of valor which have immor- 
talized his name. For an account of the Crusades see Fredet'a 
Modern History, Part V., revised by McCarthy. 
* F. Schlegel. 



64 



LESSONS m ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



The Gothic cathedral, with its graceful spires point- 
ing heavenward, symbolizes the grand religious spirit 
of the Middle Ages. Its first and greatest object is to 
express the elevation of holy thoughts, the loftiness 
of meditation set free from earth and proceeding un- 
fettered to the skies. Such is the sublime impression 
which is at once stamped on the soul of the beholder 
—however little he may himself be capable of analyz- 
ing his feelings — as he gazes on those far-stretching 
columns and airy domes. The whole inspires a feeling 
of awe and a vague sense of the Divinity.* 

The Middle Ages, in short, were times of great 
faith, great men, great books,f and great achieve- 
ments. The Crusades secured the independence of 
Europe, and gave it a most powerful impulse in the 
career of civilization. No other events recorded in 
history are so colossal as the Crusades, in which, as 
Balmes eloquently remarks, "we see numberless na- 
tions arise, march across deserts, bury themselves in 
countries with which they are unacquainted, and ex- 
pose themselves to all the rigors of climate and sea- 
sons : and for what purpose ? To deliver a tomb ! 
Grand and immortal movement, where hundreds of 
nations advance to certain death, not in pursuit of a 
miserable self-interest, not to find an abode in milder 
and more fertile countries, not from an ardent desire 
to obtain for themselves earthly advantages, but in- 
spired only by a religious idea, by a jealous desire to 
possess the tomb of Him who expired on the cross for 
the salvation of the human race ! When compared 
with this, what becomes of the lofty deeds of the 



* Chateaubriand. 

t The most famous of these is the Summa Tlieologiae of St. 
Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor and prince of Christian phi- 
losophers. This incomparable man was born at Rocca Secca, 
Italy, in 1226, and died in 1274, at the age of forty-eight years. 
See Little Lives of the Great Saints, page 385. 



LITERATURE OF THE NORMAN PERIOD. 



65 



Greeks chanted by Homer? Greece arises to avenge 
an injured husband ; Europe to redeem the sepulchre 
of a God r 

6. Progress or Learning in England, a. d. 1066- 
1350. — We have already alluded to the revival of 
letters on the continent of Europe — a revival which 
owed its first impulse to the influence of the Catholic 
Church, seconded by the efforts of the celebrated 
Charlemagne, who completed his splendid reign in 
the early part of the ninth century. But the first 
waves of this literary revival only reached England 
with the Norman Conquest. At that date the country 
was in a very backward state in regard to everything 
intellectual. William the Conqueror found the Anglo- 
Saxons a rustic and almost illiterate people. 

The great leaders of thought and fathers of learn- 
ing in England, immediately after the Conquest, were 
two renowned monks who became Archbishops of 
Canterbury — Lanfranc and Anselm. Though both 
natives of the north of Italy, they were superiors of 
the two chief monasteries in Normandy when William 
invaded England. 

Lanfranc was chosen Archbishop of Canterbury 
and Primate of England in 1070. He founded many 
new schools, restored the study of art and science, and 
inspired the nation with a love for learning. He was 
an able logician and one of the most eloquent Latin 
writers of his age. Nor was he less famous for his 
knowledge of Holy Scripture, the Fathers of the 
Church, and Canon Law.* 

* Lanfranc was born at Pavia. Italy, in 1005, and educated at 
Pa via and Bologna. He died in 1089. at the age of eighty-four. 
His chief writings are Commentaries on the Epistles of St. Paul, 
Treatise on the Blessed Eucharist against Berengarius. Sermons, 
and Letters — all in Latin. On one occasion after the elevation of 
Lanfranc to the Primacy of England, he was obliged to visit 
Rome and have an audience with Pope Alexander II., who paid 
him such marked respect that some of the Roman clergy asked 



66 



LESSONS 1 1ST ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



Lanfranc's pupil and immediate successor, St. An- 
selm, was a man still more illustrious. He was the 
greatest educator, philosopher, and theologian of his 
time, and to-day he is honored as one of the Doctors 
of the Church.* By the lofty zeal of those renowned 
prelates, learning was revived in England, and the 
light of knowledge shone with renewed brightness. 

Nor can we forget the Conqueror and his successors 
in connection with the progress of knowledge. Kings 
and nobles vied with each other in the erection of 
monasteries and the endowment of seats of learning. 
From the Conquest to the signing of the Magna 
Charta — about a century and a half — we learn that 
five hundred and fifty-seven monasteries were founded 
in England. These were the schools and colleges of 
that age, and the monks were the teachers and pro- 
fessors. 

"Such great institutions of persons," says the Prot- 
estant Warton, "dedicated to religious and literary 
leisure, while they diffused an air of civility and soft- 
ened the manners of the people, must have afforded 
powerful incentives to studious pursuits, and have 
consequently added no small degree of stability to 
the interests of learning." 

"The monks," writes Balmes, "were not content 



the reason. "It is not because he is Primate of England," re- 
plied the Pope, "that I rose to meet him, but because I was his 
pupil at Bee, where I sat at his feet and listened to his words of 
instruction." 

* St. Anselm was born in 1033, at Aosta, Italy. He was ap- 
pointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 1093, and his great sanctity, 
vigorous character, and vast intellectual power made him the 
foremost man of his age. Among the works of this famous saint 
are, On Truih, On Original Sin, The Fall of Satan, The Liberty 
of the Will, The Reason Why God Created Man, Why God ivas 
Made Man, and The Consistency of Freedom with the Divine Fore- 
knowledge — all in Latin. These great questions were then upper- 
most in men's minds, and they were handled by St. Anselm in a 
new and more attractive mode of appeal to pure reason. He died 
in 1109. 



LITERATURE OF THE NORMAN PERIOD. 67 



with sanctifying themselves. From the first they in- 
fluenced society. The light and life which their holy 
abodes contained labored to enlighten and fertilize 
the chaos of the world." 

7. The Catholic Church and the Progress of 
Learning. — At all times, but more especially in those 
rude ages of war and conquest, the Church was the 
guardian of learning and the soul of progress. The 
clarion tones of her sacred voice were ever heard urg- 
ing forward the spread of sound knowledge. To her 
we owe the Tevival of the arts, sciences, and literature. 
She taught her children to love learning and to found 
and endow schools; and she educated eminent men 
to govern those centres of knowledge.* 

Before the rise of the universities, the educational 
institutions of the Middle Ages were of two classes — 
the cathedral schools and the monastic schools. The 
studies were divided into two courses, known as the 
Trivium,f and the Quadr'wlum.% The Trivium, or 
lower course, comprised grammar, logic, and rhetoric. 
The Quadrivium, or higher course, embraced arithme- 
tic, music, geometry, and astronomy. The doors of 
these schools were open to all — rich and poor alike. 
It was the Catholic Church that first taught the world 
to respect man and merit rather than rank or fortune. 

An able writer, referring to this period, says: 
"Schools for the poor were especially attended to. 
The Councils of the Church — those landmarks of 
civilization — from the beginning decree that every 



* Religion and literature were always cultivated together. 
The library grew up with the school under the shadow of the 
Church. — Spalding. 

t Trivium, or Three Roads, because grammar, logic, and rheto- 
ric constitute a triple way to eloquence. 

t Quadrivium. or Four Roads. The Trivium and Quadrivium 
together constituted the seven literal arts, or circle of study in 
the Middle Ages. 



68 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

church that has the means provide a master for the 
gratuitous instruction of the poor 'according to the 
ancient canons/* That of Lateran in 1180 says that, 
the Church of God, 'like a dutiful mother/ being 
bound to provide for the indigent in soul as well as 
in body, to every church shall be attached a master to 
instruct the poor gratuitously."* 

8. Else of the Universities. — Nearly all the 
great institutions of learning in Europe carry the 
mind back to the ages of faith. As a spring-time, a 
time of seed-sowing, have those ages been to modern 
Europe. "The long and silent process of vegetation," 
says Schlegel, "must precede the spring, and the 
spring must precede the maturity of the fruit. The 
youth of individuals has often been called the spring- 
time of life. I imagine we may so speak of whole 
nations with the same propriety as of individuals. 
They also have their seasons of unfolding intellect 
and mental blossoming. The age of the Crusades, 
chivalry, romance, and minstrelsy was an intellectual 
spring among all the nations of the w^est." 

The enthusiasm of the Crusades was followed by 
an enthusiasm of study. From the thirteenth century 
we may properly date the rise of the great universi- 
ties — -Paris, Oxford, Cambridge, Bologna, Pavia, 
Padua, Salamanca, and others. Before that time 
these seats of learning had existed as schools; but it 
remained for the thirteenth century to develop and 
enlarge them into higher and more permanent centres 
of thought, art, science, and literature. 

In the advancement of learning and civilization the 
value of the universities cannot be overestimated. 
"One of the causes," observes Balmes, "that contrib- 
uted most to the development of the human mind was 



* Brother Azarias, Philosophy of Literature. 



LITERATURE OF THE NORMAN PERIOD. 



69 



the creation of great centres of instruction, which col- 
lected the most illustrious talents and learning, and 
diffused rays of light in ail directions." These grand 
institutions were created and sustained by the Catho- 
lic Church. "All the universities were founded either 
by religious princes or by bishops and priests ; and 
all were under the direction of different religious 
orders." 

As time went on the thirst for learning increased. 
At the beginning of the fourteenth century over 20,- 
000 students attended the University of Oxford,* and 
the number at Paris was still greater. Albertus Mag- 
nusf and Abelardt were professors at Paris. Alber- 
tus was compelled to lecture in the public square that 
still bears his name, and Abelard counted his .audience 
by thousands. We are told that of Abelard's pupils 
twenty became cardinals and fifty bishops and arch- 
bishops. Though Bologna § was the oldest of the 
universities, Paris stood at the head of them all as a 
place of general instruction. || 

One of Abelard's English pupils, the famous John 
of Salisbury, writing from Paris in 1176, gives the 
following glowing account : "When I saw," he says, 
"the abundance of provisions, the gayety of the peo- 



* At the present time the number of students at Oxford is 
about 3,500. 

f A celebrated Dominican, who was St. Thomas Aquinas' pre- 
ceptor. He died in 1280. 

t A famous scholastic philosopher and monk, who died in 1142, 
§ Ten thousand students are said to have attended Bologna in 
1262. 

|| It seems to have been in the early portion of the thirteenth 
century that degrees, or titles cf learning, began to be conferred 
on such students as passed through the university courses of 
study with approval. According to the historian Robertson, in 
his History of Charles V., the "first obscure mention of these 
academical degrees in the University of Paris — from which other 
universities in Europe have borrowed most of their customs — 
occurs a. d. 1215. They were completely established a. d. 1231. 
It is unnecessary to enumerate the several privileges to which 
Bachelors, Masters, and Doctors were entitled." 



70 LESSONS m ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

pie, the good condition of the clergy, the majesty and 
glory of all the Church, the varied occupations of 
men admitted to the study of philosophy, I seemed 
to see that Jacob's ladder, whose summit reached 
heaven and on which the angels ascended and de- 
scended. I must confess that indeed the Lord was 
in this place." 

The great zeal for learning in England was proved 
by splendid endowments. Between 1249 and 1400 
seven new colleges were founded at Oxford, and six 
at Cambridge. The Church viewed the growth of the 
universities with a mother's pride, and encouraged 
them in their upward career. Pope Clement V., at 
the General Council of Vienne (1311), ordered that 
professorships of Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, and Chal- 
daic be established in the universities of Paris, Ox- 
ford, Bologna, and Salamanca.* 

9. Eemarks on British Literature from 1066 
to 1350. — We can look for nothing remarkable in the 
Anglo-Saxon or English literature of this period. All 
that was learned, valuable, or witty, was given to the 
world in Latin, or occasionally in Prench. For two 
hundred years after the Norman Conquest the chief 
literary productions of England were written in Latin 
or in Prench. In fact, the principal English poets for 
three hundred years after the Conquest wrote wholly 
in French. Out of more than two hundred and twenty 
English authors who wrote between the Conquest and 
the middle of the fourteenth century, haxdly as many 
as could be counted on the fingers of two hands left 
anything worth remembering in their native language. 

The key to this state of Saxon literary degradation 
is furnished by the history of the times. An old 
British writer bluntly tells us that "Prench being the 



* At the date of tbe discovery of America, about 8000 students 
attended the University of Salamanca. 



LITERATURE OF THE NORMAN PERIOD. 



71 



language of the polite, and Latin of the learned, no- 
body could use the common tongue in composition." 
All the works on philosophy, theology, and history 
were written in Latin ; while all that was intended to 
amuse the upper classes and the idlers of the court 
appeared in French. 

But what became of the Anglo-Saxon as a literary 
language ? Obscure and despised, we hear it no more 
except in the mouths of farmers, peasants, swine- 
herds, and outlaws of the forest. It is no longer, or 
scarcely, written. In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle we 
find thai gradually the idiom alters, and is extin- 
guished. The Chronicle itself ceases within a century 
after the Conquest.* 

What we call the Norman Period extends from the 
Norman Conquest to the days of Chaucer. It may 
be separated into two divisions — the Semi-Saxon Age 
and* the Age of Early English. Under these heads 
we shall review the principal English writers and the 
literary monuments which they left behind. But to 
make this chapter more complete, a bird's-eye view 
of several of the most distinguished Latin and French 
authors of the same period is also added. 

LESSOX I. 

THE SEMI-SAXOX, OR EARLY TRANSITION, AGE. 
A. D. 1150 TO 1250. 

1. Layamon's Brut. 

2. The Or mulum 

3. The Ancren Riicle (an-kren ri-ule). 

f]tC£sr r3 These are the three principal works written in the Eng- 
lish of the Semi-Saxon Age. 

1. Who was Layamon* 

He was a patriotic priest of Worcestershire, and 
author of the famous poem known as the Brut. 



* Taine. 



72 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



2. State its length, merits, and date of composition. 

It consists of over 32,000 lines, and is very valuable 
as a specimen of English in its early form. The date 
of its composition, though not exactly known, may be 
fixed about the year 1205.* 

3. What is the subject of the Brut? 

It is a chronicle of British history from the arrival 
of Brutus — a supposed descendant of iEneasf of Troy 
— to the death of Cadwalader, the last Celtic prince of 
England, in a. d. 689. 

4. What were Layamon's sources for the material of his 
poem? 

(1) Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Re gum Brit- 
anniw; (2) a French translation of Geoffrey's work 
by Wace, a Norman-French poet; and (3) numerous 
British traditions. 

5. What is the Ormulum? 

The Ormulum is a series of metrical homilies hav- 
ing for their subject the Gospels of the various Sun- 
days and holidays in the year. 

6. Who was the author? 

Orm, a pious and learned English canon of the 
Order of St. Augustine. 

7. Does the Ormulum exist entire? 

~No; out of the whole number of homilies, which, 
as planned, would have amounted to 243, but U0 re- 
main — a fine fragment of a grand whole. 

8. In its present form, of how many lines does the Ormulum 
consist, and what are its merits? 

It consists of some 10,000 long lines, and, while its 
literary merit is on no very high plane, it is a real 
landmark in the history of the English language.J 



* Layamon's Brut was first printed in 1847. 

t ^Eneas, the hero of Virgil's /Eneid, was, according to Homer, 
ranked next to Hector among the heroes of Troy. 

% The Ormulum was written about 1210 and was first printed 
in 1852. Only one manuscript copy exists. 



LITERATURE OF THE NORMAN PERIOD. 



73 



9. What do the words "Ancren Eiwle" signify? 

This is the old way of spelling Anchoresses'* Rule. 

10. What can you say of this wori? 

It is a prose work, the author of which is unknown, 
but he was evidently an ecclesiastic high in authority ; 
in style and quaintness of idea it is most interesting. 

11. Of what does it treat? 

It is a somewhat extensive treatise on the rules and 
duties of the monastic life, written for three religious 
ladies who formed a community in Dorsetshire. 

12. What may he said of its vocabulary and the date of its 
composition? 

It contains a larger infusion of Latin words than 
either the Brut of Layamon or the Ormulum, and 
was probably written about the year 1225. 

LESSON" II. 

THE EARLY ENGLISH, OR LATER TRANSITION, AGE. 
A. D. 1250 TO 1350. 

1. Robert of Gloucester's Chronicle. 

2. Thomas Bek of Castleford's Chronicle. 

3. Robert Mannyng's Chronicle and Handlyng Synne. 

4. Dan Michel of Northgate's Ayenoite of Inioyt. 

5. Laurence Minot's War Songs. 

6. The Romances of Chivalry. 

7. Cleanness, Patience, and Pearl. 

13. Who was- Robert of Gloucester? 

He was a writer about whom we know very little, 
except that he was a monk of Gloucester Abbey, and 
the author of a rhyming Chronicle. 

14. What is the subject of Robert of Gloucester's Chronicle? 

It is a versified history of England from the time 
of the imaginary Brutus of Troy till the death of 
Henry III., A. d. 1272. The Chronicle was written 



* An anchoress is a female hermit or recluse. 



74 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

about the year 1300. It is in the language of South 
Gloucestershire. 

15. What authorities did Robert of Gloucester follow for his 
facts and incidents? 

He followed mainly Geoffrey of Monmouth, and to a 
less degree Henry of Huntingdon and William of 
Malmesbury ; but he also drew freely on other sources. 

16. What metre did Robert of Gloucester employ? 

He uses a long line, consisting of fourteen syllables, 
sometimes of fifteen, and more rarely of twelve. 
Every two lines rhyme together. 

17. What do you know of Thomas Bek of Castleford's 
Chronicle ? 

It is written in the northern dialect; it is in short 
rhymed couplets; it contains nearly 40,000 lines; it 
exists in only one manuscript, which is preserved at 
Gottingen ; and it has never yet been edited. 

18. Who was Robert Mannyng, or Robert of Brunne, as he is 
sometimes called? 

He was a learned priest and canon of Brunne, the 
modern Bourne, in Lincolnshire, who wrote in the 
first half of the fourteenth century. 

19. Which are his principal works? 

A Chronicle, which is one of the most voluminous 
works written in Early English, and the Handlyng 
Synne or Handbook of Sin. 

20. What period of history does Mannyng's Chronicle cover? 

It is a metrical history of England from the im- 
aginary Brutus down to the death of Edward L, a. d. 
1307. 

21. What are the sources of Mannyng's Chronicle? 

It is in two parts : the first, which is in octosyl- 
labic couplets, is a translation of Wace's translation of 
Geoffrey of Monmoutlr's Historia Regum Britannice, 
and comes down to a. d. 450 ; the second, which is in 



LITERATURE OE THE NORMAN PERIOD. 75 



rhymed alexandrines, is a translation of a French 
poem by Peter of Langtoft. 

22. What do you know of Mannyng's Handlyng Synne? 

It is a translation, in eight-syllabled iambic metre 
and in east midland dialect, of William of Wading- 
ton ; s French poem, the Manuel des Pechiez. 

23. What is the subject of the Handlyng Synne? 

It is a kind of verse treatise on the ten command- 
ments, the seven deadly sins, and the seven sacra- 
ments, illustrated by examples in the form of interest- 
ing, stories. 

24. What have you to say of Mannyng's art? 

He was the most skilful story-teller of his time. 
He uses simple language, and his Handlyng Synne is 
very valuable as a picture of contemporary manners. 

25. What is meant by the words "Ayenbite of Inwyt?" 

They mean Eemorse of Conscience. 

26. Who wrote the Ayenbite of Inwyt? 

Dan (i. e., Dominus=Reverend) Michel of North- 
gate, in Kent, an Augustinian monk attached to St. 
Austin^s in Canterbury. 

27. Is the Ayenbite of Inwyt an original work? 

No ; it is a translation of a French treatise entitled 
the Somme des Vices et des Yevius, which was itself 
compiled in 1279 by frere Lorens, a Dominican, at 
the request of Philip the Bold, King of France. 

28. When was the Anyebite of Inwyt written? 

In A. d. 1340. 

29. Of what does it treat? 

Of various religious subjects, such as the ten com- 
mandments, the creed, the seven deadly sins, the seven 
cardinal virtues, the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost, 
and confession. 



6 



76 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



30. Who was Laurence Minot? 

We know but little about him, except that he was 
the author of some war-songs, in a variety of lyrical 
measures, dealing with certain events in English his- 
tory which occurred between the years 1333 and 1352. 
Minot is a true English patriot, and shows great con- 
tempt for Scotland and France, the nations with 
which England was then at war. 

31. During what period did metrical romance, or the ro- 
mances of chivalry, nourish? 

English metrical romance began in the thirteenth 
century; but its most flourishing period was during 
the fourteenth century, after which it entirely disap- 
peared as an element of early English literature. 

32. To what kind of compositions was the name metrical 
romance, or romances of chivalry, given? 

To tales of love and adventure written in verse. 

33. "When and by whom were metrical romances introduced 
into England? 

In the eleventh century, by the Normans. 

34. What were the usual subjects of those metrical romances? 

There were four great cycles of romance dealing 

with (1) King Arthur and his Knights of the 

Eound Table; (2) the Fall of Troy; (3) Charle- 
magne; and (4) Alexander the Great; and besides 
these there were many individual romances. 

35. What detracts from the merit of many English metrical 
romances? 

The want of originality ; nearly all the English tales 
are mere imitations or simple translations from the 
French. We are even left in ignorance of the trans- 
lators, who thought so little of their own labors as to 
affix no name to their works. 

36. Name a few of the most celebrated of the metrical ro- 
mances? 

To the thirteenth century belong the rhymed ro- 
mances Sir Tristrem; HaveloJc the Dane; and King 



LITERATURE OF THE NORMAN PERIOD. 



Horn; and to the fourteenth Richard Cceur de Lion; 
Bevis of Hampton; Guy of Warwick; Merlin and Ar- 
thur; King Alisaunder ; and the Seven Sages. Among 
alliterative romances, mostly unrhymed but some 
rhymed, are the Pistyl [Epistle] of Sweet Susane; 
the Morte d 3 Arthur; Joseph of Arimathea; the De- 
struction of Troy; William of Palerne; and Sir Ga~ 
wane and the Grene Knight. 

37. Who revived the metrical romance in modern times? 

Sir Walter Scott, though he did it in a form some- 
what original. 

38. Besides the alliterative romances named above, are there 
any other alliterative poems belonging to this period] 

Yes; there are three very celebrated alliterative 
poems, entitled respectively Cleanness; Patience; and 
Pearl. 

39. Of what does Cleanness treat? 

It is a didactic poem in 1812 alliterative unrhym- 
ing lines, showing the dangers of impurity by a series 
of biblical examples. 

40. What is the nature of Patience? 

It, also, is a didactic poem in 531 alliterative un- 
rhyming lines, emphasizing the duty of patience by 
telling the story of Jonah. 

41. What is Pearl? 

Pearl is a beautiful poem of 1211 alliterative lines, 
arranged in stanzas with elaborate rhymes. It tells the 
story of a father who in a dream sees the Pearl he has 
lost, namely his little two-year-old daughter, who is 
now a queen in Paradise, and who, to explain her high 
position there, tells him the parable of the Laborers 
in the Vineyard. 



78 



LESSONS m ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



42. Is anything known of the authorship of these three poems? 

Some scholars attribute them to Eadnlph or Ealph 
Strode, of Merton College, Oxford; others to Hu- 
choun of the Awle Eeale, a Scottish nobleman; but 
nothing really definite as to their authorship can be 
stated. 



LESSON III. 

PRINCIPAL NORMAN-FRENCH WRITERS OF ENGLAND. 

A. d. 1066 to 1350. 

1. Richard Wace. Died 1184. 

2. Richard Ccear de Lion. Died 1199. 

3. Cardinal Lang ton. Died 1228. 

43. Who stands first among the Norman-French poets? 

Richard Wace, a priest, who lived in the reign of 
Henry II. 

44. Which are his chief works? 

Two exceedingly long poems — The Brutus of Eng- 
land* and The Romance of Rollo.f 

45. What are the subject, versification, and length of the 
first of these poems ? 

The Brutus of England is chiefly a metrical trans- 
lation of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Latin History of 
the Kings of Britain. It is written in eight-syllable 
verse, and is over 15,000 lines in length. 

46. Describe the Romance of Rollo? 

The Romance of Rollo is an epic poem on the first 
Duke of Normandy — the famous Eollo the Marcher.! 
It contains the history of the Norman dukes down to 
Henry II. 

* Le Brut d' Angleterre. f Le Roman de Ron. — According to 
Chambers, "neither of these works has the slightest poetical 
merit. They are both interesting only as showing the state of 
the French language in the twelfth century, as supplying occa- 
sional facts and social traits to the historian." 

X So called "because he was of so mighty stature that no 
horse could bear his weight," 



LITERATURE OF THE NORMAL PERIOD. 79 



47. What two personages celebrated in English history may- 
be mentioned in connection with Norman-French poetry? 

King Kichard the Lion-hearted and Cardinal 
Langton. 

48. What did King Eichard write ? 

He composed several military songs known as 
Sirventes. A portion of one of these was printed by 
Horace Walpole in his Royal and Noble Authors. 

49. By what is Cardinal Langton known to literature? 

We possess but one of Cardinal Langton V literary 
productions — a beautiful little poem, in a manuscript 
sermon of his, discovered in the British Museum. 



LESSOR IT. 

PRINCIPAL LATIN WRITERS OF ENGLAND. 

A. d. 1066 to 1350. 

Note. — The English writers of Latin during this period were 
very numerous — only the principal ones are dealt with in this 
lesson. 

1. William of Mahnesbury. Died 1143. 

2. Matthew Paris. Died 1259. 

3. Geoffrey of Monmouth. Died 1154. 

4. John of Salisbury. Died 1180. 

5. Joseph of Exeter. Died 1200. 

6. Roger Bacon. Died 1294. 

50. Who were the principal Latin chroniclers of England in 
the twelfth and the thirteenth centuries? 

Among the numerous Latin chroniclers of this pe- 
riod may be named Florence of Worcester (fl. 1117) ; 
Simeon 'of Durham (fl. 1130) ; Eadmer (d. 1124?) ; 
Ordericus Yitalis (1075-1143?) ; William of Malmes- 
burv (d. 1143?); Henrv of Huntingdon (1084 ?- 
1155); Geoffrey of Monmouth (1100 ?-1154) ; Wil- 
liam of Newburgh (1136-1198) ; Benedict of Peter- 
borough (d. 1193) ; Roger of Hoveden (fl, 1201) ; 



80 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



Ralph of Diceto (d. 1202?) ; Richard of Devizes (fl. 
1189-1192) ; Jocelin of Brakelond (fl. 1200) ; Giral- 
dus Cambrensis (1146 P-1220 ?) ; and Matthew Paris 
(d. 1259). 

51. Name some of the best-known English writers of Latin, 
other than chroniclers, during this period? 

John of Salisbury (d. 1180) ; Joseph of Exeter (fl. 
1190); Richard Fitz-Neale (d. 1198) ; Walter Map 
(fl. 1200) ; Roger Bacon (1214P-1294) ; and Richard 
of Bury (1281-1345). 

52. Who ranks as the greatest of the twelfth-century chroni- 
clers? 

William of Malmesbury. 

53. Who was William of Malmesbury? 

He was a monk who was librarian and precentor of 
the ancient Benedictine abbe}'' at Malmesbury. 

54. What is his chief work? 

His chief work is a chronicle in two parts. The 
first, in live books, is called De Gestis Regum An- 
glorum, or History of the Kings of England, and 
covers the period from a. d. 449 to- a. d. 1127. The 
second part, in three books, is entitled Historia No- 
vella, or Modern History, and traces events from a. d. 
1125 to a. d. 1142. 

55. Who was William of Malmesbury' s model? 

The Venerable Bede. 

56. What were the sources on which William of Malmesbury 
drew? 

He tells us himself that for the earlier portions of 
his history he searched far and wide, and he seems to 
have consulted nearly every work then known. 

57. Is he an attractive writer? 

He is extremely attractive. Milton said that both 
for style and judgment AVilliam is by far the best 



LITERATURE OF THE NORMAN PERIOD. 81 



writer of all these earlier historians. Even to-day his 
chronicle is eminently readable on account of the remi- 
niscences, quotations, anecdotes, and pointed com- 
ments which it contains, and because, when he has 
some great event to commemorate, he rises splendidly 
to the occasion. 

58. Did William of Malmesbury write anything- else? 

He was a most prolific author. Among other works 
he produced a history of the church of Glastonbury, 
a life of St. Dunstan, and a history of the prelates of 
England. 

59. "Who was the greatest English chronicler of the thirteenth 
century? 

Matthew Paris. 

60. What position did Matthew Paris hold? 

He was a monk who was appointed official histori- 
ographer to the great Benedictine abbey of St. Albans 
in 1236, on the death of the previous incumbent, 
Roger of Wendover. 

61. What is the title of Matthew Paris's chief work? 

Chronica Majora, or Greater Chronicles. 

62. On what is Matthew Paris's Chronica Majora hased? 

Its earlier portion down to 1235 is a revision and 
amplification of the chronicles written by John de 
Cella, abbot of St. Albans from 1195 to 1214, and by 
Roger of Wendover; its later portion, from 1235 to 
1259, is exclusively Matthew's own work. 

63. Is the Chronica Majora a valuable hook? 

It is most valuable. Its author was careful and 
painstaking in the collection and the verification of 
his facts, showing in this respect a great deal of the 
modern scientific spirit. He is a first-class authority 
both for English and European events during about 



82 



LESSOXS IN" ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



25 years of the reign of Henry III. In addition, he 
displays considerable literary skill, and his narrative 
is well ordered and picturesque. He is the greatest 
of the English medieval chroniclers. 

64. Who was Geoffrey of Monmouth? 

He was an ecclesiastic of Welsh birth or extraction, 
who became bishop of St. Asaph in 1152, and died at 
Llandaf? in 1154. 

65. Did he contribute anything to history? 

His contributions to history are of extremely doubt- 
ful value ; but he made literature his debtor for ever, 
because it was he who started the legends concerning 
King Arthur, as well as many other celebrated legends, 
on their literary career. 

66. In what hook did he do this? 

In his Historia Begum Britannice, or History of the 
Kings of Britain. 

67. What was the scope of that work? 

Geoffrey's professed purpose was to perform for 
"the kings who dwelt in Britain before the incarna- 
tion of Christ" and "for Arthur and the many others 
who succeeded him after the incarnation," that is, for 
the kings of the British, what William of Malmesbury 
and others had done for the kings of the English. 
Accordingly he wrote a history of Britain from its 
supposed settlement by the mythical Brutus, great- 
grandson of Aeneas of Troy, down to Cadwalader, the 
last independent prince of Wales. 

68. What sources did he use? 

He tells us that his work was a translation of a 
"most ancient book in the British tongue," which was 
brought to him out of Brittany by Walter, Archdea- 
con of Oxford. 



LITERATURE OF THE NORMAN" PERIOD, 



83 



69. Is anything further known of this ancient Breton book? 

No ; it has never been traced, and there is consider- 
able doubt as to whether it ever existed. 

70. Whence then, if not from the Breton book, did Geoffrey 
get his materials! 

Partly from Gildas, Nennius, and Bede; partly 
doubtless from Welsh tradition; but mostly from his 
own fertile imagination. 

71. Is his Historia Regum Britanniae to be regarded as a 
serious history? 

~No ; it has been appropriately described as a "prose 
romance." 

72. Name some of the legends circulated by Geoffrey of Mon- 
mouth? 

The story of Lear and his daughters,* the story of 
Cymbeline,t the story of Sabrina,J and the story of 
Arthur and his Knights of the Eound Table. 

73. What effect had the legend of Arthur on subsequent 
literature ? 

Its effect was enormous and far-reaching. It in- 
fluenced trouveres in France and minnesingers in 
Germany; new Arthurian legends were invented, and 
were crystallized in the fifteenth century by Sir 
Thomas Malory into a great prose poem, the Morte 
d' Arthur, which has been a source of inspiration for 
numerous English poets. Prom Layamon in the thir- 
teenth century to Tennyson in the nineteenth, the 
influence of Geoffrey of Monmouth is clearly trace- 
able. It has been truly said that, with the exception 
of the Bible, no work has furnished as great an amount 
of literary material to English writers as the Historia 
Begum Britannice. 

* This story, as found in Holinshed, is the foundation of 
Shakespeare's great tragedy. King Lear. 

t This story, as told by Holinshed, is the basis of Shakespeare's 
Oymbeline. 

t This story is most poetically applied in Milton's Masque of 
Comus. 



S-± LESSONS IIS T ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

74. Who was John of Salisbury? 

He Avas a learned Englishman, who in 1176 became 
bishop, of Chartres in Prance. 

75. What is his chief work? 

His chief work is Polycraticus, a pleasant and 
learned treatise on the "frivolities of courtiers and the 
footsteps of philosophers." 

76. What Englishman is esteemed the best Latin poet of 
this period? 

A gifted monk of Exeter Abbey, commonly known 
as Joseph of Exeter. 

77. What is his principal work? 

An epic poem entitled The Tro jan War. It is writ- 
ten in elegant Latin. 

78. Who was Roger Bacon? 

He was a native of England, a learned Franciscan 
Father, and the most famous philosopher of his age. 

79. Which is his chief work? 

The Opus Ma jus (or "Greater Work"), a celebrated 
production which has been styled the encyclopedia of 
the thirteenth century. 



Summary of Chapter III. 

1. With the Norman Conquest there was introduced 
into England a new order of things, social, political, 
and literary. 

2. The 2,000,000 inhabitants of England were still 
Saxons, but their rulers were Normans, and Norman- 
French became the language of the Court and the 
Castle. 

3. Cardinal Langton and the Catholic barons forced 
King John to sign the Magna Charta on the famous 
field of Eunnymede, a. d. 1215. 



LITERATURE OF THE NORMAN PERIOD. 



85 



4. The first representative English parliament met 
a. d. 1265. 

5. The foreign commerce of Europe dates from the 
Crusades, which also gave a great impulse to art, 
science ; and literature. 

6. Gothic or Christian architecture dates from the 
Middle Ages, often styled "the Ages of Faith/'* 

7. Lanfranc and St. Anselm began the revival of 
learning in England in the Middle Ages. 

8. The Xorman rulers of England were great pa- 
trons of learning. From the date of the Conquest to 
the signing of the Magna Charta — about 150 years — 
557 monasteries" were founded in England. These 
were all houses of education. 

9. To the Catholic Church we owe the revival of 
the arts, sciences, and literature. History admits of 
no doubt on this point. 

10. The doors of the monastic schools were open 
to all — rich and poor alike. 

11. The great universities of Europe, under the 
fostering care of the Church, began to take shape in 
the thirteenth century. 



* Nowadays shallow or blindly prejudiced authors write of 
them as the "Dark Ages ;" but th'e darkness is in tliemselves, not 
in the ''Ages of Faith." The "Dark Ages" never had any exist- 
ence save in unenlightened skulls and diseased imaginations. It 
is to those much caluminated ages that we must trace the origin 
of the following inventions and improvements : (1) organs and 
bells in churches ; (2) the mariner's compass, which prepared 
the way for the discovery of America: (3) banks and double- 
entry book-keeping: (4) post-offices: (5) spectacles for the use 
of the eyes: (6) clocks: (7) gunpowder: (8) computation from 
the birth of Christ: (9) the Gothic style of architecture: (10) 
the gamut in music: (11) oil-painting: (12) the making of paper 
from linen rags; (13) modern commerce: (14) all our modern 
languages: (15) rhyme and the beginning of modern poetry: 
(16) water-mills: (17) glass windows for churches: (18) the 
manufacture of silk ; (19) the great universities ; (20) the art of 
printing. — M array. 



86 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



12. The most renowned of the ancient universities 
were those of Paris, Bologna, Oxford, Cambridge, and 
Salamanca. 

13. Between a. d. 1249 and 1400 seven new col- 
leges were founded at Oxford and six at Cambridge. 

14. The degraded condition and unformed state of 
the English language during the Norman Period warn 
us that we need look for nothing great in the native 
literature of that time. 

15. With few exceptions, the famous writers of that 
period gave their ideas to the world in a Latin or a 
Prench dress. 

16. The chief productions written in the crude and 
unformed English of the time, for 200 years after 
the Norman Conquest, were (1) The Anglo-Saxon 
Chronicle, (2) Layamon's Brut, (3) The Ormulum, 
and (4) The Ancren Riwle. 

17. The chief literary productions written in Early 
English (1250-1350) were Eobert of Gloucester's 
Chronicle, Thomas Bek of C&stletord's Chronicle, Eob- 
ert Mannvng's Chronicle and Hancllyng Synne, Dan 
Michel of Northgate's Ayenbite of Inwyt, Laurence 
Minors War Songs, the metrical tales known as the 
Romances of Chivalry, and the alliterative poems 
Cleanness, Patience, and Pearl. 

18. The principal English historian of the twelfth 
century was William of Malmesbury, who wrote in 
Latin. 

19. The principal English historian of the thirteenth 
century was Matthew Paris, who also wrote in Latin. 

20. Joseph of Exeter is esteemed the best Latin 
poet of that age. 

21. Eoger Bacon is regarded as one of the most 
profound philosophers of the Middle Ages. His 
works are all in Latin. 



BOOK II. 



CHAPTER J. 
The Age of Chaucer — a. d. 1350 to 1400. 
historical introduction. 
1. Glances at the British History of this 
Period. — The latter half of the fourteenth century 
we call the Age of- Chancer, because Chaucer domi- 
nates the whole period. That brief age was the 
real beginning, the springtime, of modern English 
literature. 

The civil history of this period covers the greater 
part of the reign of Edward III. and the entire reign 
of Richard II. That of Edward III. was long and 
brilliant. The victories of Crecy and Poitiers filled 
Europe with the fame of English arms and the mili- 
tary skill of the Black Prince.* In him English 
chivalry reached the pinnacle of glory and greatness. 

There are certain periods of history in which, by a 
mysterious combination of circumstances, the genius, 
energy, and greatness of a nation are suddenly devel- 
oped and exhibited to the world. Such was the reign 
of Edward III. In the Black Prince it produced the 
flower of English chivalry; to all time it gave Chau- 
cer, the father of modern English poetry. Then it 
was that an English nationality, an English language, 
and an English literature fairly began. The victories 
gained over a French foe by combined Norman and 
Saxon valor welded the two races more firmly than 



* So named on account of the color of his armor. 



88 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



ever together. Three hundred years of commingling 
and intermarriages, and the possession of common in- 
terests nearly completed the work of race-consolida- 
tion in this reign. The victories of Crecy and Poi- 
tiers led to the gradual disuse of the French lan- 
guage and the downfall of French influence. The 
tongue of the vanquished foe could no longer main- 
tain its former power and prestige in England. 

The last years, however, of the reign of Edward 
III. were rendered gloomy by the sickness and death 
of the Black Prince, and by the loss of nearly all ter- 
ritory in France. But there was one gain. With the 
loss of French possessions foreign ties were broken. 
Every man from the English sovereign down found 
his common country bounded by the coasts of Eng- 
land. We hear no more of Norman and Saxon. The 
two races and the two languages — as by a chemical 
process— became one. 

Edward III. was the most accomplished English 
sovereign since the Conquest. He was the first king 
of England who, for three hundred years, could speak 
the language of the people he ruled. English was 
made the speech of the courts of law and of the 
schools. An act passed in 1362 decrees that all cases 
"shall be pleaded, showed, defended, answered, de- 
bated, and judged in the English tongue/' 

The reign of Richard II. witnessed the beginning 
of that agitation among the lower classes for increased 
rights and privileges, which has not ceased even to- 
day. The people were little better than serfs and 
bondsmen. But soon they began to feel their own 
power, and, headed by bold and lawless leaders like 
Wat Tyler, the restless multitude were treated to dis- 
courses on such curious questions as, 

"When Adam delved and Eve span, 
Who was then the gentleman?" 



THE AGE OE CHAUCER. 



89 



The story of Scotland during this period (1350- 
1400) is filled with accounts of disastrous wars with 
England and struggles between the Scottish monarch 
and his turbulent nobles. David II, was taken pris- 
oner by the English, and remained in captivity for 
eleven years ; but he was finally ransomed by his sub- 
jects, and died in 1371. He was succeeded by his 
nephew, Robert Stuart, the first of that name that 
swayed the sceptre of Scotland. The Stuart family 
is, perhaps, the most unfortunate in the annals of 
history. 

2. Influencing Agencies on the Literature of 
this Peiod. — The age of Chaucer, as we have said, 
may be regarded as the May time of English letters. 
And as the months of the year and their products are 
influenced by various physical agencies, so the liter- 
ary productions of different ages bear upon them the 
impressions not alone of the genius which conceived 
them, but also of the times in which they were given 
to the world. Various were the causes which had a 
bearing, a directing influence, on the English letters 
of this period. In the history of the reigns of Ed- 
ward III. and Bichard II. must be sought the home 
influences. The chivalry of that period and the bril- 
liant military achievements of the Black Prince have 
their literary counterpart in the masterpieces of 
Chaucer, the poems of Gower, and the travels that go 
under the name of Sir John Mandeville. 

But other influences were also at work. Chief 
amongst these may be named (1) the Italian, (2) the 
French, (3) the Latin. 

3. Italian Influence. — "As was to be expected," 
writes Bascom, "Italy was the first division of Eu- 
rope after the barbaric overflow to regain the arts of 



90 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



civilization. In commerce, in freedom, in the indus- 
trial and fine arts, in literature and science, she took 
the lead." In truth, the intellectual brightness of 
Italy illumined Europe in the fourteenth century. 
The world is indebted to that age for three illustrious 
poets, Dante* Petrarch^ and Chaucer — two Italians, 
and one- Englishman. Of all the Christian poets, 
Dante is the grandest, the most sublime. He was the 
great Catholic bard of those remote times. His Divina 
Commedia is the poetic and religious expression of 
the Ages of Faith. Dante died a few years before 
the birth of Chaucer. Petrarch taught modern Eu- 
rope how to write lyric poetry. Boccaccio% was an- 
other Italian writer of the same age. The genius of 
Chaucer £ was doubtless quickened by his renowned 
foreign contemporaries. It is generally admitted 
that the Decanter on% of Boccaccio suggested the plot 
of the Canterbury Tales, and furnished the most 
beautiful of them all — the Knight's Tale. "Indeed, 
it is here worthy of remark," says Coppee, writing of 
the age of Chaucer, "that from that early time to a 
later period many of the greatest products of English 
poetry have been watered by silver rills of imagina- 
tive genius from a remote Italian source. Chaucer's 

* Dante, born at Florence, 1265 ; died 1321. He was the fa- 
ther of Italian literature. 

t Petrarch, born at Arezzo, 1304 ; died 1374. He is a poet of 
great purity. 

t Boccaccio, born 1313 ; died 1375. 

§ The Decameron is a collection of one hundred tales written 
during the period when the plague desolated the south of Europe. 
The plot is simple. It is assumed that a party of ten retired to 
one of the villas near Naples to escape danger of contagion. 
Each person was to tell a new story on each of the ten days : 
hence one hundred stories, and the title Decameron. Many of 
these tales, however, are not only immoral but grossly obscene. 
No beauty of language can hide or make amends for such a heap 
of moral rottenness and literary filth. This miserable but much- 
lauded book was freely circulated in Italy until it was condemned 
by the Council of Trent. Had Chaucer a better model before 
him, it is very probable that the Canterbury Tales would have 
been more moral. 



THE AGE OF CHAUCER, 



91 



indebtedness has just been noticed. Spenser borrowed 
his versification and not a little of his poetic handling 
in the Fairy Queen from Ariosto. Milton owes to 
Dante some of his conceptions of heaven and hell in 
his Paradise Lost, while his Lye Idas, Arcades, Allegro, 
and Penseroso may be called Italian poems done into 
English." 

4. French Influence. — The influence of French 
taste, although much lessened, still continued to make 
some impression on English letters. Translations 
from the French were numerous. The English poets 
drew freely from the Fabliaux, or tales in verse. 
One of Chaucer's most masterly translations — the 
first part of the Romaunt of the Rose — is but an ele- 
gant English rendering of a poetic gem of early 
French literature. 

5. Latin Influence. — We have already glanced 
at some of the literary storehouses which were built 
up in the Latin of the Middle Ages. For hundreds 
of years those ancient collections have furnished an 
almost inexhaustible source of material for the poets 
and story-tellers of all lands. Chaucer drew liberally 
from the Gesta Romanorum* and other Latin collec- 
tions. Two, if not more, of his Canterbury Tales 
can be traced to the Gesta. From the same abundant 
source Gower borrowed even more largely. f 



* A celebrated collection of fictions written in the Latin of the 
Middle Ages. 

t Shakespeare, Scott, Tennyson, and others owe not a little to 
the vast literary storehouses of the Middle Ages. For instance, 
the story of the Merchant of Venice, on which Shakespeare 
founded his famous play, is borrowed from the Gesta Romanorum. 



1 



92 



LESSORS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



LESSON I. 

GEOFFREY CHAUCER. DIED 1400. 

Chief works : (1) Part of The Romaunt of the Rose. 

(2) The Dethe of Blaunche the Duchesae. 

(3) Troilus and Creseyde. 

(4) The Parlement of Foules. 

(5) The Hons of Fame. 

(6) The Legende of Good Women. 

(7) The Canterbury Tales. 

1. Who was Geoffrey Chaucer? 

Geoffrey Chaucer was the son of a London vintner, 
and was born about 1340. 

2. Relate briefly the facts of his career. 

In early life Chaucer was a courtier and a soldier. 
The favor of John of Gaunt introduced him to the 
brilliant court of Edward III. Having gone to 
Prance with the English forces, we learn that he was 
made prisoner in 1359, but was ransomed and enabled 
to return to England the year following. In 1367 he 
received from King Edward III. a pension of twenty 
marks. During the period from 1370 to 1379 he was 
sent abroad on seven different embassies on behalf of 
the king. In 1374 Edward III. granted Chaucer a 
pitcher of wine daily, which later was commuted for 
a further pension of twenty marks. In the same year 
(1374) he was appointed comptroller of the customs 
and subsidy of wools, skins, and tanned hides in the 
port of London, and in 1382 he received in addition 
the post of comptroller of the petty customs. Besides 
these various sources of income, he had certain lucra- 
tive wardships and forfeitures assigned to him, so 
that he must have been in easy and comfortable cir- 
cumstances. He reached his highest dignity when in 



THE AGE OF CHAUCER. 



93 



1386 he was returned to parliament as knight of the 
shire for Kent. Soon after this he fell into disfavor 
with the dominant court party, lost his two comptrol- 
lerships, and, in order to raise money, was obliged to 
assign away his royal pensions. The return of J ohn 
of Gaunt to power in 1389 had a beneficial effect on 
Chaucer's fortunes, for in that year he was made 
clerk of the king's works, and in 1390 a commissioner 
of roads. He lost his clerkship in 1391, but in 1394 
King Richard II. granted him a new pension of forty 
pounds a year. Still Chaucer was not prosperous, for 
in 1398 he obtained from the king letters of protec- 
tion against his creditors. In that same year the 
king made him a grant of a tun of wine yearly. 
When Henry IV., J ohn of Gaunt's son, deposed Rich- 
ard II. and ascended the throne himself in 1399, he 
granted Chaucer an additional pension of forty marks. 
The poet now leased a house in the grounds of St. 
Mary's Chapel, Westminster, and there he died on 
October 25, 1400. He was buried in St. Benet's 
Chapel, in Westminster Abbey, and was thus the first 
of the long line of writers who have been laid to rest 
in what is now known as Poet's Corner. Chaucer was 
married to Philippa Roet, sister of John of Gaunt's 
third wife, Katharine Swynford, and by her he had 
three children, two sons and a daughter. 

3. What may be said of Chaucer's checkered career as a 
preparation for his literary labors? 

His career was such that he had every means to 
study the great volume of life in men, things, and 
books. He was a scholar, courtier, traveller, soldier, 
ambassador, and, above all, a diligent, good-tempered 
student of human nature.* 

* "He seems," says Lowell. "Incapable of indignation. He 
muses good-naturedly over the vices and follies of men, and, 
never forgetting that he was fashioned of the same clay, is rather 
apt to pity than condemn. There is no touch of cynicism In all 
he wrote." — My Study Windows. 



94 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



LESSON" II. 

GEOFFREY CHAUCER, CONTINUED. 

4. Which is Chaucer's masterpiece? 

The Canterbury Tales. 

5. Describe the Canterbury Tales. 

The Canterbury Tales consist of twenty-four tales 
or stories, preceded by a prologue or introduction ; 
and; except two of the stories^ they are all in verse. 

6. How long are these Tales? 

The metrical part extends to over 17,000 lines, be- 
ing longer than Homer's Iliad and nearly twice as 
long as Milton's Paradise Lost* 

7. State the plot of the Canterbury Tales. 

The plot is very simple. Thirty persons arrive at 
the Tabard Inn, on the outskirts of London. They 
are all on a pilgrimage to the celebrated shrine of St. 
Thomas a Becket at Canterbury, some fifty miles dis- 
tant. Chaucer, likewise at the inn, is on the same 
journey, and determines to accompany the band of 
pilgrims. Harry Bailey, the host, is to act as guide. 
Before starting, in order to relieve the tedium of the 
road, each one agrees to relate two stories going and 
two returning. When the pilgrimage is over, the 
teller of the best story is to get a grand supper at the 
expense of the others. 

8. What is the nature of the Prologue to the Canterbury 
Tales? 

It is a minute and somewhat lengthy description 
of the person, dress, manners, and accomplishments 
of each of the pilgrims. The first described is a 

* Some idea of the size of each story may be given by stating 
that the Prologue contains 860 lines, and the Knight's Tale, 
which is the first, contains 2250 lines. 



THE AGE OF CHAUCER. 



95 



Knight, "a worthy man" who had fought for the true 
faith in fifteen "mortal battles." 

9. Mention some other persons in Chaucer's portrait-gallery. 

There are the Knight's son with his yeoman attend- 
ant; a Franklin, or country gentleman ; a good parish 
Priest, and his brother, an honest Ploughman; a 
Miller; a Reeve,or Bailiff ; a Prioress; several Monks; 
the Wife of Bath; a Merchant; a Doctor; a Sea-cap- 
tain; and many others. 

10. Which are perhaps the best-drawn characters? 
The Knight and the Parish Priest, 

11. Into how many classes may the stories composing the 
Canterbury Tales be divided? 

Into two classes, according to their nature — the 

pathetic or tragic, and the comic or humorous. 

12. Which is the most beautiful of the pathetic Tales? 

The Knigh t's Tale, or the story of Arcite and Pala- 
mon, which Chaucer borrowed from the Italian of 
Boccaccio.* 

13. Mention another of the pathetic Tales which is very 
striking ? 

The Tale of the Prioress, or the touching legend of 
how "little Hugh of Lincoln" was murdered for per- 
severingly singing his hymn to the Most Blessed 
Virgin. 

14. By whom are the two prose Tales related? 

By Chaucer himsef and the Parish Priest. 

15. What is the nature of the Tale related by the Parish 
Priest? 

It is a somewhat elaborate sermon on the seven 
deadly sins, and their causes and remedies. There 
breathes throughout it a spirit of sincere piety.f 

* It tells how two brave young knights, Arcite and Palamon, 
both fell in love with the beautiful Emily. Arcite, victorious in 
tournament, falls, and dying bequeaths Emily to his rival. 

t It is the opinion of some eminent critics that this sermon was 
added by Chaucer to his Canterbury Tales on the advice of his 
confessor, as a sort of reparation for the light and immoral tone 
of portions of his Tales and other writings. 



96 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



16. Do the Canterbury Tales contain any account of the visit 
of the pilgrims to the shrine of St. Thomas, and of their return? 

No; as the Canterbury Tales now exist they are 
incomplete — a fragment of what Chaucer designed 
them to be. His death prevented their completion.* 

17. For what is the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales es- 
pecially admired? 

For its pen-pictures. It is an unrivalled collection 
of humorous and masterly descriptions of men and 
manners. In descriptive power, in humor and pathos, 
Chaucer is unsurpassed by any writer in English lit- 
erature. 

18. In what other way does Chaucer exhibit the most ex- 
quisite taste? 

With the nicest art, each story is suited to the char- 
acter of the person who relates it. The rude miller's 
tale is very different from that of the polished, cour- 
teous knight. 

19. What may be said of Chaucer's power over language? 

His verse forces a music out of the English lan- 
guage which not many poets have equaled. After the 
plays of Shakespeare there are few productions in 
English literature that display more masterly genius 
than the Canterbury Tales. 



LESSON III. 

GEOFFREY CHAUCER, CONTINUED. 
20. "What do you know of the Romaunt of the Rose? 

It is a translation of a French poem, entitled the 
Roman de la Rose, begun by Guillaume de Lorris and 
completed by Jean de Meung. The English portion 



* Had each of the 31 pilgrims told two stories going and two 
returning — as was agreed upon — there would be 124 stories in 
all, with an account of their devotions at Canterbury, adventures 
by the wa«y, and the grand supper to the victorious story-teller. 
As they now stand, the Canterbury Tales are only 24 in number. 



THE AGE OF CHAUCER. 97 

that has come down to us contains about a third of the 
French original. Of this portion it is extremely diffi- 
cult to say how much is Chaucer's. Scholars are in- 
clined to assign to him no more than the first 1705 
lines. 

21. What is the subject of the Dethe of Blanche the Duch- 
esse? 

It was written in 1369-70 to commemorate the 
death of Blanche, the first wife of John of Gaunt, 
duke of Lancaster. It is in octosyllabic rhyming 
couplets. 

22. What is the nature of Troilus and Creseyde? 

It is a translation, in the seven-line stanza now 
known as "rime loyal" of Boccaccio's Filostrato. 
Troilus and Creseyde is regarded as one of the finest 
narrative poems in the English language. 

23. What was the occasion of the composition of the Parle- 
ment of Foules? 

It was written in 1381 or 1382 to celebrate the 
betrothal of King Eichard II. to his first wife, Anne 
of Bohemia. It is a dainty court allegory. 

24. What great Italian poet's influence is traceable in the Hous 
of Fame? 

Dante's. 

25. In what metre is the Hous of Fame written? 
In octosyllabic rhyming couplets. 

26. Give, in brief, the plan of the Hous of Fame? 

The poem is a curious description of the Temple of 
Glory and its famous inhabitants, the great authors 
and heroes of ancient times. Chaucer tells us that in 
a dream he was carried by an eagle to an immense 
building, the materials of which were bright as pol- 
ished brass. It stood upon a rock of ice. The illus- 
trious inmates were standing upon columns of various 
kinds of metal — iron, copper, and so on — according 
to their rank. There, seated on a rich throne, Fame 
ruled. The sight of a venerable personage awakes the 



98 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



poet, and this interruption brings the dream to a 
somewhat abrupt termination. 

27. What are the chief merits of this poem? 

It excites our admiration by its wealth of imagina- 
tion, its beautiful imagery, and the richness and splen- 
dor of its ornaments. 

28. What is the plan of the Legende of Good Women? 

In a prologue Chaucer tells us that, because of the 
treasons he had committed against Love in the Ro- 
maunt of the Rose and in Troilus and Creseyde, he 
was in danger of punishment, but was begged off by 
the fair Alcestis, and told to write, by way of atone- 
ment, certain stories illustrating woman's faithful- 
ness. He planned nineteen such stories, but wrote 
only nine, so that the Legende of Good Women is left, 
like so many others of Chaucer's works, unfinished. 
It is in the heroic couplet. 

29. Did Chaucer write any prose works? 

Two of the Canterbury Tales, the Tale of Melibee 
and the Parson's Sermon, both translations, are in 
prose, and besides he wrote a treatise on the Astrolabe 
for his little son Lewis,* and made a translation into 
English prose of Boethius's De Consolatione Philo- 
sophiae. 

30. What service did Chaucer render to English prosody? 

He introduced two new metres of first-class im- 
portance, the seven-line stanza or rime royal and 
the decasyllabic or heroic couplet. 

"Greet well Chancer when you meet 
As my disciple and my poet." 

Oower. 



* Chaucer's Astrolabe, a prose treatise on astronomy, com- 
posed in 1391 for his son Lewis, is the oldest work in the Eng- 
lish language now known to exist on any scientific subject. It 
opens thus : "Lyte (little) Lowys, my sone, I aperceyve wel by 
certeyne evydences thyn ability to lerne sciences touching nom- 
bres and proporciouns." Little Lewis was at that time ten years 
old. 



THE AGE OF CHAUCER. 



99 



"Since he of English in rhyming was the best, 
Pray unto God to give his soul good rest." 

Lydgate. 

"Great Chaucer — well of English undefiled, 
On Fame's eternal bead-roll worthy to be filed." 

Spenser. 

"I take unceasing delight in Chaucer. His manly cheerfulness 
is especially delicious to me in my old age." — Coleridge. 



LESSOR IV. 

JOHX GOWER. DIED 1408. 

Chief works : (1) Confessio Amantis (The Confession of a 
Lover j. 

(2) Speculum Meditantis (The Mirror of Medi- 

tation ) . 

(3) Vox Clamantis* (The Voice of one Crying). 

31. What English author ranks next to Chaucer in the litera- 
ture of the fourteenth century? 

John Gower. 

32. What is known of Grower's personal history? 

He was born about 1327, and belonged to a family 
of wealth and position. He must himself have been 
well known at court, for he tells us that King Rich- 
ard II., meeting him one day on the Thames, invited 
him into the royal barge and asked him to "book some 
new thing" for his perusal. The result was the Con- 
fessio Amantis. Gower w T as on terms of friendship 
with Chaucer. The "moral Gower" is one of two to 
whom Chaucer dedicated his Troilus and Creseyde in 
1382-83. Subsequently the friends appear to have 
had a quarrel, the origin of which is obscure. When 
he was about 70 years of age Gower married, and took 



* Though all have Latin titles, the first of these poems was 
written in English, the second in French, and the third in Latin. 
The Vox Clamantis remained in manuscript until 1850, when it 
was printed for the Roxburghe Club. The Confessio Amantis 
has been frequently printed. The Speculum Meditantis. also 
called the Speculum Hominis or Mirour de V Omme. was lost for 
many years, but was discovered in 1895, and was edited, with 
Gower's other works, by G, C, Macaulay, in 1899-1900. 



100 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



up his abode within the precincts of the Priory of St. 
Mary Overy (now St. Saviours), Southward, Lon- 
don, to the rebuilding of which he had previously 
contributed. He lost hib sight in 1400, and died in 
1408. He was buried in St. Saviour's, where his 
impressive tomb is still preserved. 

33. What are Gower's chief writings? 

Three large works, one in Latin, one in French, 
and a third — the Confessio Amantis — in English. 

34. What is the Confessio Amantis? 

It is a long poem of over 30,000 lines, in octosyl- 
labic rhyming couplets, divided into a prologue and 
eight books. One book is devoted to each of the seven 
deadly sins, and the remaining one to the duties of a 
king. 

35. What are the characters in this production? 

The characters are but two — a Lover, and Genius, 
his confessor. The former confesses his sins to the 
latter, who before absolving his penitent relates an 
immense number of tales, each having some reference 
to Lover s moral shortcomings. 

36. Are the stories told by Genius original with Grower? 
Not by any means ; in the composition of his poem 

Gower laid under contribution all the learning of his 
age. For the tales he ransacked the Bible, Ovid, 
Statins, the Gesta Romanorum, the Seer eta Secretor- 
um, A 7 incent de Beauvais, and other sources. 

37. What are the weak points and the good qualities of the 
Confessio Amantis? 

Its weak points are its length and general tedious- 
ness. Gower seems to have aimed less at pleasing the 
imagination of his readers than at astonishing them 
by his vast array of learning. On the other hand, the 
language is easy an.d smooth, and many of the descrip- 
tions are exceedingly agreeable. 



THE AGE OF CHAUCER. 



101 



38. Name some of Gower's other works. 

The Chronicon Tripartitum, a poem in Latin on 
the misgovernment of Bichard II., and the Cinkante 
(i. e., Cinquante, Fifty) Balades in French. The 
Cinkanie Balades possess considerable merit, and 
show Gower at his best as a poet. 

39. How does Gower compare with Chaucer? 

His genius was less brilliant. He lacked the ex- 
quisite humor and rich imagination of Chaucer; but 
he divides with him the glory of polishing the Eng- 
lish language, and of being one of the founders of 
modern English literature. 



"Gower first garnished our English rude." 

Skelton. 

"Those of the first age were Gower and Chaucer." 

Sir Philip Sidney. 
"He is always sensible and polished." 

Hallam. 

"Gower mainly helped to polish and refine the language of his 
country." — Shaw. 



LESSON" V. 

SIR JOHN MANDEVILLE'S TRAVELS. 

40. What is meant by Sir John Mandeville's Travels? 

That is the title given to a work which for long 
was supposed to have been really written by an Eng- 
lish gentleman of that name. Modern research has, 
however, shown that, while there was a knight known 
as Sir John Mandeville, he had no connection with 
the work, except that the original compiler used his 
name. 

41. Who was the original compiler? 

Jean de Bourgogne or Jean h la Barbe. 

42. What language did he use ? 

French. 



102 LESSONS m ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



43. Did Jean de Bourgogne in reality visit the various strange 
lands he describes? 

He probably did visit Palestine, and described what 
he saw there, but what he tells us of other countries 
he mostly borrowed from earlier writers, such as 
Jacques de Vitry, Friar Odoric of Pordenone, John 
of Piano Carpini, Hayton the Armenian, and John 
of Boldensele. 

44. Who translated th^se Travels into English? 

There are three separate translations, all belonging 
to the end of the fourteenth or the beginning of the 
fifteenth century; but who made any one of them is 
not known. 

45. Does the book known as Sir John Mandeville's Travels 
furnish entertaining reading? 

It is most delightful reading. The style is terse, 
simple, and quaint, and the narrative deals with so 
many extraordinary sights, customs, and events that 
the interest never flags. 

46. Is it difficult for English-speaking people of the persent 
day to read the book? 

It may still be perused with but little difficulty.* 



LESSON VI. 

JOHN BARBOUR. DIED 1396. 
Chief work : The Bruce— an epic poem. 

47. Who is considered the greatest Scottish poet of the 
fourteenth century? 

John Barbour, a gifted and learned priest, and a 
contemporary of Chaucer. 



* "Next to Marco Polo," writes Washington Irving, "the 
Travels of Sir John Mandeville and his account of the territories 
of the Great Khan along the coast of Asia seem to have been 
treasured up in the mind of Columbus." — Life and Voyages of 
Christopher Columbus, 



THE AGE OF CHAUCER. 



103 



48. Give a brief outline of his life. 

John Barbour was born in Aberdeen, and finished 
his studies at Oxford. He became archdeacon of his 
native city, and died a few years before Chaucer. 

49. What is his chief literary production? 

The Brace, an epic poem of some 14,000 lines, writ- 
ten in eight-syllable verse.* 

50. What is the subject or action of the poem? 

Jt recounts the life, battles, and adventures of Bob- 
ert Bruce, the heroic victor of Bannockburn.f This 
is done with a warmth and enthusiastic patriotism, a 
clearness of narrative, and a dramatic vigor in the de- 
piction of scenes, which must forever give the poem 
an honorable place among the early monuments of 
British literature. 

51. Has The Bruce any real historic value? 

It has some errors, but, despite these, as an histori- 
cal document concerning the great Scottish hero, it 
holds a high rank. It was composed within fifty 
years after Brace's death, and while the facts of his 
life were still fresh in the minds of all. 

52. What may be said of the style of the poem? 

It is clear and vigorous, the verse is smooth and 
musical, and the descriptions are bold, animated, and 
picturesque. The battle-scenes are grandly painted, 



* The following lines are from the often-quoted passage on 
freedom : 

"Fredome all solace to man giffis : 
He levys at ess that frely levys !" 
That is :— 

"Freedom gives all solace to man : 
He lives at ease that lives in freedom!" 
f Robert Bruce, the most heroic of the Scottish kings, was 
born in 1274. At the battle of Bannockburn, which was" fought 
June 24. 1314. Bruce with only 40.000 men defeated about 
100,000 English under Edward II. The English left 30.000 dead 
upon the field. Bruce died in 1329, and his body was interred in 
the Abbey Church of Dunfermline. 



104 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



and we hurry through them charmed with the lofty 
music of martial verse. More than 2000 lines are de- 
voted to the battle of Bannockburn. 

53. What other works are attributed to Barbour? 

The Buik of Alexander and the Legends of the 
Saints. 

54. What do you remark of the Scottish poetry of this period? 

It belonged to a school different from that of the 
English. It is believed that the works of Chaucer 
were unknown to Barbour. 

55. Is there much difference between the English of Barbour 
and that of Chaucer and Gower? 

No; the language of the three is essentially the 
same, except that Barbour's English is more Saxon. 
The Bruce, which was completed about the year 1377, 
is among the oldest monuments of the early language 
of the Lowlands of Scotland, which Scottish writers 
usually call Inglis. 

56. How were Barbour and his poem for a long period honored 
by the Scottish nation? 

Barbour was honored as the Homer of Bruce and 
Bannockburn ; and his poem was treasured as the 
grand national epic of Scotland.* 



"Fortunato in the choice of a noble theme. Barbour has de- 
picted, in rough but faithful outline, the life, manners, and deeds 
of a truly heroic time, and given to Scotland not only the first 
poem in her literature, but the earliest history of her best and 
greatest king." — Chambers. 



* The Bruce has been edited by Dr. .Tamieson (1820). Cosmo 
Innes (1850), and Skeat (1870-77 and 1894). In his Lord of 
the Isles, Sir Walter Scott borrows largely from Barbour's poem 



THE AGE OF CHAUCER* 



105 



LESSON VII. 

WYCLIF AND LAXGLAND, 
67, Who was John Wyclif? 

John Wyclif was born in the north of England 
about 1320, studied at Oxford, was afterwards a pro- 
fessor at that university, and subsequently was ap- 
pointed rector of Lutterworth in Leicestershire. In 
some of his writings he attacked the papal and the 
sacerdotal power. He was several times summoned 
before councils of bishops on the charge of heresy. He 
was certainly guilty of heresy regarding the doctrine 
of Transubstantiation. The General Council of Con- 
stance condemned forty-five propositions in his works. 

58. How does Wyclif come into the history of English litera- 
ture? 

In virtue of his Sermons and Tracts, and especially 
because he was the first to translate, or cause to be 
translated, the whole Bible into English. 

59. How much of the Bihle did Wyclif himself translate? 
That cannot be stated with certainty. Some writers 

attribute to him the translation of the New Testa- 
ment : but the question is still in doubt. 

60. Who are supposed to have assisted him in the translation 
of the Bible? 

Nicholas Hereford and J ohn Capgrave. 

61. Who is the author of the famous poem called Piers Plow- 
man? 

Tradition — the only authority we have in this case 
— assigns it to William Langland, who was, evidently, 
a discontented ecclesiastic. 

62. State briefly the size and object of the poem. 

Piers Plowman is a satirical and allegorical poem 
of about 15,000 lines in length, composed on the 



106 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



principle of the old Saxon alliteration. It is intended 
as a scathing denunciation of the political and re- 
ligious abuses of the times as the author saw them. 

63. Give the plot and divisions of Piers Plowman. 

On a morning in May the poet goes asleep on the 
Malvern Hills. He dreams a series of dreams, which 
constitute his Vision concerning Piers the Plowman. 
In this vision the world and its inhabitants, with all 
their faults and foibles, pass before his eyes. The 
poem is divided into eight passus or sections, and at 
the end of the eighth the dreamer awakes. The vision 
is followed by The Life of Do-wel, Do-bet, and Do- 
best. The poem in this shape belongs to about the 
year 1362. In 1377, and again in 1393 or 1398, 
Langland (or some one else) rewrote it, so that we 
have really three versions of the poem. 

64. Is the Vision of William Concerning Piers the Plowman 
an important work? 

Whether regarded from the point of view of lan- 
guage or literature, it is most important. 

65. What other work is attributed to Langland? 

A poem, Richard the Redeles (i. e., devoid of coun- 
sel), addressed to Eichard II. just before his deposi- 
tion. 



Summary of Chapter I., Book II. 

1. The works of Chaucer and Gower mark the be- 
ginning of modern English letters. 

2. Edward III. was the first king of England since 
the Conquest who could speak English. 

3. English was made the language of the law- 
courts in 1362, and of the schools in 1385. 



THE AGE OF CHAUCER, 



107 



4. The literature of any age or nation is always an 
expression of the times in which it is produced. 

5. The age of Chaucer is one of the most brilliant 
in the military annals of England ; and this brilliancy 
is faithfully reflected by the literature of the period. 

6. The British authors of this age were much in- 
fluenced by the works contained in the Italian, French, 
and Latin literatures. 

7. The chief British writers of the last half of the 
fourteenth century were Chaucer, Gower, Barbour, 
Wyclif, and Lang! and. 

8. The Canterbury Tales is Chaucer's greatest pro- 
duction. 

9. Chaucer died A. d. 1400; and was the first great 
literary genius buried in Westminster Abbey. 

10. The Confessio Amantis is the best known work 
written in English by Gower. 

11. The Bruce, by Barbour, is one of the most an- 
cient monuments of the English language in Scot- 
land. 

12. Wyclif was the first who translated, or caused 
to be translated, the entire Bible into English. 



CHAPTEE II. 

ENGLISH LITERATURE OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY. 
a. d. 1400 to 1500. 
The Age of James I. of Scotland, Lydgate, and Caxton. 



HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 

1. England in the Fifteenth Century. — In 
many respects the story of England in the fifteenth 
century is a sad one. The throne was occupied at the 
dawning of that age by Henry 7F v . the. first sovereign 

8 



108 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

of the house of Lancaster. Seven kings ruled during 
the hundred stormy years that "slowly rolled away." 
First, we have the three monarchs of the house of 
Lancaster, Henry IV., Henry V., and Henry VI., 
with the wars of the two latter against France, dur- 
ing which Henry V. gained the great victory of Agin- 
court in 1415. The tide was turned against the Eng- 
lish when Joan of Arc raised the siege of Orleans in 
1429, whence her title of the "Maid of Orleans." 

J oan is one of the most wonderful characters in all 
history. A country girl but seventeen years of age, 
pure, pious, patriotic, and beautiful, she headed the 
armies of her native country, and with her own gentle 
hand helped to give the death-blow to English power 
in France. 

With some slight intermissions, this unhappy con- 
test lasted nearly forty years. It taxed the energies 
and drained the resources of England ; and its unfa- 
vorable termination hastened a still more terrible 
struggle at home — the Wars of the Roses. 

Scarcely had peace with France been concluded, 
than the crown began to sit uneasily on the head of 
Henry VI., the last of the Lancastrians. The rival 
house of York kept an envious eye on the royal bau- 
ble. Soon the struggle began. The land resounded 
with the trumpets of war and the shock of arms. The 
fierce contest lasted over thirty years. It carries us 
through the reigns of three kings, Edward IV., Ed- 
ward V., and Richard III., all of the house of York. 
It was a bloody and unnatural struggle that made 
Great Britain one extensive theatre of atrocities, was 
signalized by twelve pitched battles, cost the lives of 
more than 100,000 men, including princes and other 
distinguished persons to the number of eighty, and 
almost annihilated the ancient nobility of England, 



FIFTEENTH CENTURY. 



109 



The Wars of the Roses, which terminated in 1485, 
led to two important political results: (1) They re- 
duced not only the number but also the power of the 
Norman nobility. "Many of these perished on the 
field of battle or on the scaffold. They mutually broke 
each other in pieces. * * * The law of Henry 
VII. forbidding the nobles the maintenance of re- 
tainers other than domestic servants shows at once 
how thoroughly the power of the aristocracy was 
broken."* (2) The rival claims of the two nouses 
were united in the family of Tudor. The marriage of 
Henry VII. to his cousin, Elizabeth of York, brought 
about this union. Thus the power of the sovereign 
was vastly increased, and as we glide into the six- 
teenth century the strong hand of Henry VII. sways 
th6 destinies of the nation. 

2. Scotland. — At the beginning of the fifteenth 
century, the second of the Stuart line sat on the 
throne of Bruce — a shaky and dangerous seat. The 
nobility, haughty and powerful, were the greatest ene- 
my with whom the Scottish king had to contend. 
Robert III., fearing for the safety of his young and 
promising son, James, prepared to send him to France 
in 1405. While on the way the royal boy was inter- 
cepted by the English, and remained in captivity for 
nineteen years. For the prince this reverse of for- 
tune was a blessing in disguise. The trials he had to 
endure developed and moulded his manly character. 
James I. was perhaps the greatest English poet of his 
century, and by far the wisest and most accomplished 
of the Stuart kings. His assassination by a number 
of his nobles proves — were proof needed — that learn- 
ing, worth, and wisdom do not always secure the re- 
spect of ruffianism. 

* Bascom. 



110 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



The fate of his two immediate successors was just 
as tragic. James II. was killed by the bursting of 
a cannon. Between James III. and his nobles a fierce 
contest arose in which both eagerly took the field. 
The royal army was defeated and James fled. His- 
torians tell that as he rode hastily along he passed 
through a small hamlet ; and at the sight of a woman, 
who came out for water, his horse took fright, and, 
suddenly turning, threw the king to the ground. Be- 
ing clad in heavy armor, he was stunned by the fall. 
Soon people collected and removed him into a mill 
near by. On recovering, James called for a priest. 
Questioned by the millers wife as to who he was, he 
replied : "I was your king this morning." The woman, 
struck with surprise, hastened out and called loudly 
for a priest to attend the king. Upon this a stranger 
rode up and said : "I am a priest; lead me to the king." 
He was immediately introduced, and kneeling down 
asked James if he thought he was dangerously injured. 
The king replied that he did not consider his hurt se- 
rious, but in the meantime desired that his confession 
might be heard, and that he might receive absolution 
"This shall absolve you," exclaimed the assassin — for 
such he was — and drawing a poniard, plunged it into 
the breast of the unhappy monarch. 

J ames IV. succeeded, and as a ruler was more sue 
cessful than an}^ of his three namesakes and predeces 
sors. He was a good Christian and an able sovereign 
By marrying Margaret, the eldest daughter of Henry 
VII., he drew the thrones of Scotland and England' 
more closely together. With this event was concluded 
a perpetual treaty of peace between the two kingdoms 
after one hundred and seventy years of war, or of 
truces little better than war. The reign of James IV 
carries us into the sixteenth century. 



FIFTEENTH CENTURY, 



111 



3. Influencing Agents on the Literature of 
the Fifteenth Century. — The forty years' conflict 
with France began little more than a decade after the 
death of Chaucer. This was scarcely over, when a 
thirty years' fratricidal struggle commenced at home. 
Those long periods of war blighted literary labor and 
dwarfed intellectual growth. The camp was not fa- 
vorable to letters, and in this century the sword took 
the place of the pen. "The bells in the church- 
steeples/' wrote Fuller, "were not heard for the sound 
of drums and trumpets." 

Hence we must be content if we find no great lit- 
erary masterpiece in the English prose and poetry of 
the fifteenth century. True, the names of seventy 
British poets w T ho wrote in this age have come down 
to us, but we have room only for the principal of 
these — James I. of Scotland, and John Lydgate, a 
Benedictine monk. Both acknowledge Chaucer as 
their master and model in the art poetic. Still more 
limited, of course, was the number of prose writers, 
chief among whom were Sir Thomas Malory and 
William Caxton, the first English printer. Thus 
the English literature of the fifteenth century is prin- 
cipally represented by a king, a monk, a knight, and 
a printer.* 

4. The Age of Ballads and Prose Eomance. — 
The chivalrous tales called metrical romances, which 
were popular in England from the twelfth century, 
cease about the middle of the fifteenth. The wants 



* There were, of course, many Latin works composed in the 
various monasteries, but these do not come within the scope of a 
little text-book on English literature. Over forty monks lived 
from the twelfth to the fifteenth century, who wrote the history 
of England from the earliest times down to the dawn of the 
sixteenth century Those of the fifteenth century were Thomas 
Walsingham, Thomas Otterbourne, John Whethamstede, Thomas 
Elmham, William of Worcester^ and John Rouse, 



112 LESSONS IX ENGLISH LITERATURE. 




of the time and the tastes of the people demanded 
something else. A change came. Ballads and prose 
romances became the favorites. The riches of the 
English literature of this age consist mainly in its 
ballads, many of which have perished. These ballads, 
in most instances, are simply abridged romances — 
short tales in verse. The hero of many a ringing- 
rhyme was Robin Hood* the bold outlaw. It is the 
opinion of Hallam that the Scottish ballads of this 
period are much superior to the English. 

Two of the most ancient and beautiful British bal- 
lads are Chevy Chase and Sir Patrick Spens. Clievii 
Chase, which was written in the early part of the fif- 
teenth century, consists of sixty-eight four-lined 
rhyming stanzas. f This is the soul-stirring, fiery old 
war-song of which Sir Philip Sidney wrote that he 
never heard it without feeling himself aroused as bv 
the blast of a trumpet. Sir Patrick Spens, which is 



* Robin Hood flourished in the reign of Edward II., or the 
early portion of the fourteenth century. The earliest notice of 
him is in the Vision of William Concerning Pie,'* the Plowman, 
a poem first composed, as we have seen, about 1362. A collection 
of ballads recounting the deeds and adventures of Robin Hood 
was printed by Ritson. in 2 vols., in 1795. 

t "To drive the deer with hound and horn, 
Earl Percy took his way : 
The child may rue that is unborn. 
The hunting of that day." 
As Earl Peroy and his English followers went to hunt in the 
Scottish woods of Earl Douglas without the latter's permission, 
a bloody conflict was the result. Percy and Douglas were among 
the hundreds slain on both sides. 

"Of fifteen hundred Englishmen. 
Went home but seventy-three : 
The rest were s'ain in Chevy Chase, 
Under the greenwood tree." 
There are two versions of the ballad of Chevy Chase, an an- 
cient and a modern. The former is in antiquated English which 
ordinary readers will find as difficult to peruse as Chaucer's 
Canterbury Tales; the latter is clothed in the language of the 
age of Elizabeth. Both versions are the same in substance. The 
two foregoing stanzas belong to the modern version, and are 
made to conform to our present system of spelling. 



FIFTEENTH CENTURY. 



na 



a true Scottish ballad, consists of twenty-one four- 
lined rhyming stanzas.* It has been greatly praised. 
Coleridge calls it a "grand old ballad/' and Eeed 
does not hesitate to style it the finest specimen of all 
the old songs. Though more easily read than Chevy 
Chase, on account of the simplicity of its diction, Sir 
Patrick 8 pens is commonly considered a more ancient 
ballad. The authors of both poems are unknown. 

5. Progress of Learning, Education, and Dis- 
covery.— If long years of war and disaster stunted 
the growth and dimmed the brilliancy of English 
literature in the fifteenth century, it is but right to 
add that on the whole it was a very progressive age. 
The founders of colleges in England were especially 
active. Eton, the most famous of the English public 
schools, was founded in this century. Scotland added 
to her seats of learning the universities of St. An- 
drews (1411), Glasgow (1453), and Aberdeen (1494) 
— "all" says Thomas Arnold, "under the authority 
of different Popes." 

Then most of the great European nations of to-day 
were rapidly reaching maturity — making really mar- 
vellous progress in art, science, and discovery. Tor 
glorious achievements the fifteenth century stands 
among the most brilliant in all history. Protestant- 
ism was unknown. The nations were all one in faith 
—Catholic. Their power for good, which sprang 
from this solidity, this massive religious unity, was 
not weakened and broken by the unhappy dissensions 



* The following is the fourteenth stanza, as in the original : 
"They hadna sailed a league, a league, 
A league but barel-y three, 
When the lift grew dark, and the wind blew loud, 
And gurly grew the sea." 
"Hadna," had not; "lift," sky; "gurly," fierce, stormy. 



114 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

caused at a later period by the Eef ormation. Print- 
ing began its mission, and books were rapidly multi- 
plied. The fall of Constantinople into the hands of 
the Turks forced the remains of Greek learning an 
literature to seek a home in western Europe; and since 
that time the language of Homer and Demosthenes 
has been honored with a place in every college pro- 
gramme of studies. The compass was invented, and 
navigation grew into an art. The immortal Columbus 
doubled the size of the world's map by the discovery 
of America. The spirit of faith continued to erect 
grand Gothic cathedrals, with their airy domes and 
graceful spires pointing heavenward. Sixty-four uni- 
versities shed rays of intellectual light over Europe. 
In short, the foundations of modern European great- 
ness were laid. Our Catholic forefathers were men of 
labor and vast enterprise. The monuments they left 
behind bear witness to their lofty achievements. 

6. Notes on the Progress of the Language. — 
For the English language the fifteenth century was a 
period of rapid transition from its older state to its 
more modern form. These changes were especially 
hastened by two events: (1) The Wars of the Koses 
(2) The introduction of printing by Caxton in 1476 
The Wars of the Eoses, however singular it may seem, 
had a considerable influence in bringing about a cer- 
tain uniformity of speech throughout the kingdom 
by more or less harmonizing its various dialects. The 
art of printing did much to fix and polish speech and 
to make reading popular. It gave a new impulse to 
literature. The number of books and readers was 
multiplied. Authors were enabled to address a larger 
reading public than before. For the first time the 
language of books began gradually to extend its sway 
and to supplant local forms and provincial usages, 



FIFTEENTH CENTURY. 115 

except among the wholly uneducated classes, to whom 
books were not accessible. With printing also came a 
certain uniformity of spelling, and the division of sen- 
tences by points or stops, now called punctuation. 

By examining a few words it can easily be seen that 
great changes have taken place in English spelling 
since the fifteenth century. 

Some words as spelled in the 
fifteenth century. 

syng 

sterre 

certeyn 

tookes 

haiff 

giffs 

kaute 



As spelled today. 

sing 

star 

certain 

books 

have 

gives 

, caught 



The unaccented final e was generally neglected, and 
at length wholly lost in pronunciation. The attempt 
to distinguish gender by terminations was to a large 
extent abandoned, and the rule was adopted of treat- 
ing the names of all things without life as neuter. 

The English of the fifteenth century had nearly 
reached its stature as a full-grown language, but it 
wanted polish and maturity as an instrument of 
thought. No Shakespeare had as yet seized the dis- 
cordant elements of English speech to stamp upon 
them the seal of fixity and genius. Latin was still — 
as it had been for hundreds of years — the only great 
and polished medium of learning. Men who wished to 
give their thoughts to the world spoke and wrote in 
the imperial language of Rome. 



116 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



LESSON I. 
JAMES I: OF SCOTLAND. DIED 1437. 
Chief work: The King is Quair. 

1. Who was James I. of Scotland? 

He was the third and ablest sovereign of the Stuart 
line, an accomplished scholar, and one of the most 
original British poets of the fifteenth century. 

2. What happened to him in his twelfth year? 

While on his way to Prance he was captured by 
order of Henry IV. of England. This captivity lasted 
for nineteen }^ears. 

3. What benefits did he reap from this seeming misfortune? 

For the royal boy it proved to be a blessing in dis- 
guise. Adversity strengthened and developed the 
sterling qualities of his character ; and the solitude of 
those early years inclined him to long and serious 
study. He excelled in all the learning of his time, 
and was especially fond of poetry and music. 

4. How long did James I. rule over Scotland? 

He reigned thirteen years, during which he re- 
formed many abuses. He finally fell a victim to the 
treachery of a number of his haughty and barbarous 
nobles, by whom he was assassinated. 

5. What work has established his literary reputation? 

The Kingis Quair (that is, The King's Quire or 
Book), a poem of nearly 1400 lines, divided into one 
hundred and ninety-seven seven-lined stanzas. 

6. What does this poem describe? 

It gives many particulars of the prince's youthful 
career— the sad thoughts and the hopes and fears of 



FIFTEENTH CENTURY. 



117 



his prison life. It also portrays in glowing terms a 
May-scene in Windsor garden, the power of love, and 
the grace, beauty, and virtue of the young lady who 
finally rewarded his devotion with her hand.* 

7, What influence can "be traced in the writings of James I.? 
The influence of Chaucer and Gower, of whose 

works he was an admirer and diligent student. 

8. What may be said of the style of the Kingis Quair, and of 
its rank in early English literature? 

In grace and polish of style many of its stanzas are 
exquisite. The poem is distinguished by delicacy of 
feeling and tenderness of expression. It is regarded 
as one of the most original and meritorious produc- 
tions of the British muse between the days of Chau- 
cer and those of Spenser. 

"James I. of Scotland was a true poet and a true man." — Hart. 



LESSOX II. 

JOHN LYDGATE. DIED C. 1448. 

Chief works : (1) The Troy-Book. 

(2) The Storie of Theoes. 

(3) The Falls of Princes. 

9. Who was John Lydgate? 

He was the most prolific writer of the fifteenth 
century. He is said to have composed in all some 
150^000 lines of verse. 



* James relates that on a pleasant morning in the month of 
May he was taking a view from the windows of his prison — the 
round tower of Windsor Castle. In the garden below\ accom- 
panied by her attendants, walked a modest and beautiful girl. 
This was Lady Jane Beaufort, who afterwards became his wife 
and queen of Scotland. The Quair was written towards the 
close of his captivity, and evidently while the sunshine of love 
lit up the poet's breast. 



118 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



10. Of what religious order was he a member? 

He was a Benedictine monk of Bury St. Edmunds 
and spent a pious, useful, and laborious life in study 
teaching, and writing. 

11. Where was he educated? 

Probably at Oxford University. 

12. In his own day how was the good monk of Bury regarded 

As the greatest poet and scholar of the age. H 
had a ready pen, which, for over half a century, sup 
plied the various literary wants of his time. 

13. When were his talents especially in request? 

On such occasions as religious festivals and cour 
entertainments. For these his versatile quill dashe 
off with equal ease hymns, songs, and dramas. H 
is reputed to have left over 250 pieces behind him. 

14. Which are his three chief poems? 

The Troy-Book ; the Stone of Thebes; and th 
Falls of Princes. 

15. What is the Falls of Princes? 

It is a versified translation from the Latin of Boc- 
caccio, and contains Lydgate^s famous reference to 
his "master Chaucer, the lode-star of our language." 
It runs to over 36,000 lines. 

16. What is the Storie of Thebes ? 

It is chiefly a translation from the Thebais of Stat- 
ius, a Latin poet of the first century. Lydgate adapts 
the work of the old Eoman to his own times by mak- 
ing it a romance of chivalry, in which adventures, love- 
scenes, and tournaments take up a large space. 

17. Where does Lydgate represent himself as telling the story 
of Thebes? 

He relates that having met Chaucer's pilgrims at 
an inn in Canterbury, he accompanies them back to 



FIFTEENTH CENTURY. 



119 



London ; and on being invited to tell a tale, gives the 
Storie of Thebes, which is thus represented as an ad- 
ditional Canterbury tale. 

18. What is The Troy-Book? 

It is a translation from the French, and is very in- 
teresting, as it gives occasional pen-pictures of life in 
the fifteenth century. 

19. What may be said of Lydgate's style? 

He is very diffuse. That is his chief failing. But 
the enthusiasm of the good Benedictine often makes 
the reader forget the length of his poems. His hymns 
and devotional pieces are generally admired for grace- 
ful diction and beautiful sentiment. 



"No writer was ever more popular in his own day ; but it was 
a popularity which could not last." — TJwtnas Arnold. 

"He is the first of our writers whose style is clothed with that 
perspicuity in which the English phraseology appears at this 
day to an English reader." — Warton. 



LESSON" III. 

SIR THOMAS MALORY. DIED 1471. 
Chief Work : Morte D> Arthur. 

20. Who was Sir Thomas Malory? 

He was a knight of whose personal history we 
know but little, except that he lived in the fifteenth 
century, and wrote his famous work about the year 
1470. 

21. By whom was the Morte D' Arthur first printed? 

By William Caxion, in 1485. 

22. From what sources did Malory collect the materials of his 
book? 

Caxton states in his preface that Malory compiled 
his narrative "out of certeyn bookes of Frensshe, and 
reduced it into Englysshe." 



ISO LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



23. At what period did the romances which relate the won- 
derful career of Prince Arthur originate? 

The origin of the romances of Arthur and his 
Knights of the Eound Table is involved in obscurity ; 
but it is generally believed that they commenced about 
the sixth century. They were, as we have seen, first 
generally circulated by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 
twelfth century, and thereafter had a wonderful vogue 
and an ever-increasing development.* 

24. Who was King Arthur? 

He lives in history and romance as the most cele- 
brated of the British Celtic princes, who made a gal- 
lant stand against the Saxon invaders. Arthur, ac- 



* King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table are fa- 
miliar to all lovers of romance. Arthur was the son of Pendra- 
gon, King of Britain. After he was crowned king his entire 
career was one of conquest, either upon a huge scale or in single 
combat. Nothing earthly, it is told, could withstand the prowess 
of his stalwart arm ; and against the powers of darkness he was 
fully armed and accoutred by his friend and counsellor, Merlin. 
He proceeded from victory to victory, conquering kingdom after 
kingdom, slaying innumerable giants, rescuing distressed ladies, 
destroying "wicked witches," cutting off whole armies of Saracens, 
and making no more of dragons than greyhounds do of hares — 
sometimes killing wholesale when alone and unsupported, but- 
more commonly in company with the famous Knights of the 
Round Table. Arthur's epitaph in the church of the old monas- 
tery of Glastonbury runs thus : Etc jacet Arthurus, rex quondam 
atque futurus. His tomb was discovered in the twelfth cen- 
tury. The exhumation took place in 1189. King Arthur's Knights 
of the Round Table were twenty-four in number — the chosen few 
among his forces. Around the celebrated table every knight had 
his appointed seat, upon which his name was inscribed in letters 
of gold. One of these was styled the "seat perilous." It was 
reserved for the most famous champion of that invincible band. 
Paulus Jovius relates that when the Emperor Charles V. visited 
England, Henry VIII. exhibited this table to him as the veritable 
one of King Arthur. Today in the chapel of Worcester there is 
preserved what is affirmed to be Arthur's Round Table. It con- 
sists of a stout oak board perforated by many bullets, supposed 
to have been fired at it by Cromwell's soldiers, who used it for a 
target. Upon it is painted a royal figure seated beneath a 
canopy, intended to represent King Arthur. In the centre is 
painted a large rose, and around it are the words : "Thys is the 
rounde table of King Arthur and his valiant knights." From the 
centre radiate twenty-four spaces, each one appropriated to a 
knight, who seated himself in front of the one that had his name 
painted on it. — Hall's Book of British Ballads. 



FIFTEENTH CENTURY. 



121 



cording to tradition, was crowned in 516; and at his 
death — the date of which is unknown — was buried in 
the old abbey of Glastonbury. 

25. What was Malory's purpose? 

To give an appearance of something like unity to 
the whole cycle of Arthurian romances. 

26. What does Malory's Morte D' Arthur contain? 

It embraces the six distinct romances or narratives 
of Arthur and his famous Knights of the Eound 
Table. 

27. Which is the first of these narratives? 

The first is the legend of the Saint Graal* which 
gives the history of the Chalice used by our Blessed 
Lord at the Last Supper. J oseph of Arimathea, it is 
told, carried the sacred vessel with him to Britain; 
but, too holy to be looked upon by sinful eyes, it van- 
ished after a time from the gaze of men. 

28. Which is the second of the narratives? 

The second is the story of Merlin, which celebrates 
the birth and exploits of Arthur, and relates how he 
gathered around him the peerless knights and heroes 
of the Bound Table. 

29. Which is the third of the narratives? 

The adventures of Sir Lancelot du Lac (of the 
Lake). This is a wild, weird story of a bold and sin- 
ful hero ; and of the Lady of the Lake, and her fairy 
realm beneath the waters. 

30. Which is the fourth of the narratives? 

The fourth is the legend styled the Quest of the 
Saint Graal. This is the touching and beautiful story 
of the search for the sacred chalice, which could only 
be seen by one who was perfectly pure in thought, 
word, and deed. Many knights engaged in this 

* That Is, Holy Cup, or Chalice. 



122 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



search. The object was finally achieved by the young 
and noble knight, Sir Galahad, who, while the vision 
passed before him, prayed that 'he might no longer 
live, and was immediately taken to the happy regions 
of bliss. 

31. Which is the fifth of the narratives? 

The fifth is the Death of Arthur, which relates the 
tragic end of the incomparable Celtic hero, who for 
years had bravely battled against the Saxon foe. 

32. "Which is the sixth and last of these romantic narratives? 

The sixth and last traces the adventures of Sir Tris- 
tram, a hero somewhat similar in character to Sir 
Lancelot du Lac. 

33. What poet of the nineteenth century re-wrote those 
ancient tales? 

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, in his Idylls of the 
King* 

"Malory shows considerable mastery of expression ; his Eng- 
lish is always animated and flowing, and in its earnestness and 
tenderness occasionally rises to no common beauty." — Craik. 



LESSOR IV. 

WILLIAM CANTON. DIED 1491. 
Chief work : Reeuyellf of the Histories of Troy. 

34. Who is commonly styled the "Father of the English 
Press" ? 

William Caxton, a name venerable in the history 
of English letters, 

35, Briefly relate Caxton's early history. 

He was born in England in the early part of the 
fifteenth century, was for a time a merchant in 

* Few readers of poetry are unacquainted with Tennyson's 
beautiful poem of Morte d' Arthur, a modern rendering of the 
concluding part of the romance bearing that title. The Idylls of 
the King are renderings of so many particular passages or epi- 
sodes in the same great romance. — Arnold. 

t That is. Collection or Book, 



FIFTEENTH CENTURY. 



123 



Bruges, travelled much in Europe, and on one occa- 
sion was employed by Edward IV. to negotiate a trea- 
ty with the Duke of Burgundy. 

36. Whose service did he enter about 1470? 

That of the English princess Margaret, who was 
married in 1468 to the Duke of Burgundy. 

37. Which was his first literary effort? 

The Recuyell of the Histories of Troy, which he 
translated from the French during his leisure hours 
at the Court of Burgundy. It was at this period that 
he began to learn the neiv art of printing.* 

38. Where did he first begin his labors as a printer? 

He learned the art at Cologne, and afterwards 
with a partner printed at Bruges seven books, one of 
them being his own Recuyell of the Histories of 
Troy, and another his translation entitled The Game 
and Playe of the Chesse. 

39. In what year did he remove to England? 

In 1476, carrying with him his press and types. He 
settled down to his business in a shop in the Sanctu- 
ary at Westminster, which he rented from the Dean 
and Chapter for ten shillings a year. 

40. What was the first book printed on English soil? 

The Dictes and Sayengis of the Philosophres, which 
was translated from the French by King Edward the 
Fourth's brother-in-law, Earl Rivers, and was edited 
and printed by Caxton in 1477. 

* The honor of discovering this simple but marvellous art is 
contested by the Dutch in favor of Lawrence Coster, between 
1420 and 1426, and by the Germans on behalf of John Gutenberg 
about the year 1438. It is very probable that the discovery was 
made by both about the same time. Between 1450 and 1455 
Gutenberg succeeded in printing a Bible, copies of which are 
now exceedingly rare and valuable. Mayence, Strasburg, and 
Haarlem, were the places where printing was first executed. 
Coster, Gutenberg, and Caxton were good Catholics. It is well 
to remember that the Bible was printed seventy years before the 
Reformation, and that the art of printing 4s a Catholic invention. 
— Murray. 



9 



124 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



41. How many different works is Caxton known to have printed 
between this and his death? 

During the remaining fourteen years of Caxton's 
life eighty different works, translated and original, 
came from his press. Many of these were the products 
of his own industrious pen. 

42. How did Caxton die? 

Like the Venerable Bede, he piously breathed his 
last almost at his work. 

43. What was his character as a man and a writer? 

Caxton was a man of learning, tireless industry, 
and spotless character. At fifty years of age he 
learned the art of printing; and with his head sil- 
vered over with the white hairs of venerable age he 
might still be seen in his office to the day of his 
death.* 

"Caxton was a man of learning, and wrote many of the works 
he printed." — Hart. 

"Few English names of this century will live as long as 
William Caxton." — Shaiv. 



Summary of Chapter II., Book II. 

1. The stormy political history of England and 
Scotland, and the almost incessant wars of the time, 
account in part for the comparative literary barren- 
ness of die fifteenth century. 

2. Ballads and romances make up the great bulk 
of the English literature of the fifteenth century. 



* His life, writes Henry Reed, is to be thought of like that of 
the Venerable Bede. as monitory of "perpetual industry ;" for as 
the aged Saxon expired dictating the last words of a translation 
of St. John's Gospel — 

"In the hour of death, 
The last dear service of his parting breath," 
so did the old printer carry forward his last labor, on a volume 
of sacred lore, to the last day of a life that bore-; the burden of 
four-score years. — Lectures on English Literature: 



SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 



125 



3. Two of the most famous of the ancient ballads 
are Chevy Chase and Sir Patrick Spens. 

4. The English language and higher education 
made great progress during this age. 

5. The chief poets were James I. of Scotland and 
John Lydgate; the chief prose-writers, Sir Thomas 
Malory and William Caxton. 

6. James I. of Scotland is considered one of the 
most original writers of the fifteenth century; Lyd- 
gate, the most prolific. 

7. Malory's Morte D' Arthur is the most remark- 
able historical romance of the fifteenth century. 

8. William Caxton produced the first book printed 
in English at Bruges, probably in 1475. 

In the Short Dictionary at the end of this book 
reference is made to the following fifteenth century 
writers : 

Andrew of Wyntoun ; Dame Juliana Berners ; Wal- 
ter Bower ; John Capgrave ; John Pordun ; Sir J ohn 
Fortescue; Blind Harry, or Henry the Minstrel ; Rob- 
ert Henryson; Thomas Hoccleve; Walter Kennedy; 
and Reginald Pecock. 



CHAPTER III. 

ENGLISH LITERATURE OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 
A. d. 1500 to 1600. 
The Age of More, Dunbar, and Spenser. 



HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION". 

1. A Glance at England and Scotland in the 
Sixteenth Century. — The sixteenth century is the 
most eventful in English history. It carries us 
through the reigns of Henry VIII. , Edward VI., 



126 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



Mary, and Elizabeth. Henry VII. died in 1509,* and 
was succeeded by his son Henry A^III. In the bloom 
of youth, his mind well stored with knowledge, and 
bright hopes lighting up his future pathway, Henry 
mounted the throne of the rich, prosperous, and pow- 
erful Catholic kingdom of England. For about twen- 
ty years he enjoyed an excellent reputation. Owing 
mainly to the abilities of his Prime Minister, the fa- 
mous Cardinal Wolsey, his home administration was 
marked by wisdom; and the success of his arms 
against the Scots and the French added to the glory of 
the nation. 

Even in letters Henry made a name. It was in his 
reign that Martin Luther ,j a German monk, threw 
off the mask, raised his hand against the Catholic 
Church in which he had been educated, and stirred up 
the baser passions of rich and poor. The English 
king was among the first to enter the lists against 
Luther. He became the champion of the true faith. 
He wrote a book in Latin entitled Defence of the 
Seven Sacraments, and sent a copy to Pope Leo X. 
Leo, who was a most illustrious patron of arts and 
literature, conferred upon the royal author the beau- 
tiful title of Defender of the Faiih.% 

A change, however, came over King Henry. He 
allowed himself to become the slave of a vile passion, 
which finally transformed him into a despicable 
tyrant, drove him headlong into every cruelty, led to 
the downfall of the ancient faith in England, covered 
the country with mourning and venerable ruins, and 



* Henry VII. was the first of the Tudor family that sat on the 
English throne: Elizabeth was the last. 

f Luther was born 1483. and died in 154G. He was the father 
of the Protestant Reformation. 

% A title to this day retained by the English sovereigns, though 
they have long since ceased to profess that Catholic faith for the 
defence of which the title was conferred. 



SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 



127 



introduced heresy, pauperism,* and grinding despot- 
ism into the once happy land of Alfred the Great. Be- 
cause the Pope would not — and, in truth, could not — 
allow him to put away his Queen, the virtuous Cath- 
erine of Aragon.j and to marry her maid of honor, 
the pretty Anne Boleijn, Henry broke the sacred tie 
which bound himself and his kingdom to the Vicar of 
Christ. 

He sacrilegiously placed himself at the head of the 
English Church, and butchered without mercy all 
who dared to oppose his mad career. He had in suc- 
cession six wives, two of whom were put to death. 
The powerful Wolsey died in disgrace, exclaiming, 
"Had I served my God as I did my king, He would 
not have given me over in my gray hairs !" The ven- 
erable Bishop Fisher and the great Sir Thomas More 
finished their bright careers on the block, because they 
chose to obey God and conscience rather than a brutal 
monarch. Hundreds of monasteries were robbed and 
crumbled away at the tyrants destructive touch. Rich 
and worldly ecclesiastics cowered at his frown and 
basely became apostates ; and the whole fabric of the 
Catholic Church in England was shaken to its very 
foundations. 

Nothing was sacred in Henry's eyes. The rich 
shrines which contained the precious remains of the 
Venerable Bede and the "holy, blissful martyr," St. 
Thomas of Canterbury, were rifled of their treasures 
and the ashes cast to the winds. Even the tomb of 
Alfred the Great was not spared from desecration. 

* "Englishmen in general," says William Cobbett, "suppose 
that there were always poor-laws and paupers in England. They 
ought to remember that for 900 years under the Catholic religion 
there were neither." — Histom of the Reformation. 

t Catherine was the daughter of the celebrated Isabella the 
Catholic, Queen of Castile, and her husband, Ferdinand, King of 
Aragon. Isabella shares with Columbus the glory of discovering 
America. 



128 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



Thus, in brief, began the modern religious change in 
England. The sudden falling away of that nation 
from the unity of faith in which it had dwelt for 
nearly a thousand years is a strange and terrible event. 
Henry VIII., a cruel monster, who was the sport of all 
the vile and brutal passions, was its originator; and 
he died as he had lived — scowling on the ruins and 
desolation which marked his unfortunate and dreadful 
reign of thirty-seven years.* 

Henry VI II. was succeeded by his little son Ed- 
ward VI., who, after a brief rule of six years, died 
at the age of sixteen. The work of planting the new 
creed, and breaking the Seventh Commandment by 
robbing and plundering Catholic churches and monas- 
teries, went on briskly during this reign. 

Mary, the daughter of the unhappy Catherine of 
Aragon, became queen in 1553, She was a most zeal- 
ous Catholic, reigned for five years, and did her best 
to repair the mischief done by her father and her 
brother. It was a thankless task. Because she ex- 
ercised considerable severity towards the leaders, 
vow-breakers, and sacrilegious fanatics of the English 
Eeformation, some historians, blinded by bigotry, have 
denounced her in unmeasured terms, styling her 
"bloody Mary/' This is unjust. "Mary," says Lin- 
gard, "only practised what all taught. It was her 
misfortune, rather than her fault, that she was not 
more enlightened than the wisest of her contempo- 
raries." 

The long, cruel, and eventful reign of Elizabeth 
opens in 1558, and carries us through the remainder 
of the sixteenth century. The religions — or rather 
irreligious — changes set on foot by her father, Henry 
VIII., v ere now brought to a climax. The work of 



* During this reign Wales became a part of the kingdom of 
England. 



SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 



129 



iniquity and sacrilege was completed. The English 
Protestant Church was founded on the ruins of the 
ancient faith, and barbarous laws were enacted against 
the creed of Bede, Chaucer, and More. The Catho- 
lics were treated with savage ferocity and the most 
revolting cruelty.* The churches and religious houses 
were finally robbed of everything that could minister 
to private luxury and godless rascality. 

Elizabeth, on one occasion before she became queen, 
said that she "wished the earth would open if she was 
not a true Roman Catholic." But she was an artful 
hypocrite. However brilliant in some respects, hers 
was, in the highest degree, a blood-stained reign. The 
execution of the beautiful and unhappy Mary Queen 
of Scots, by order of the English queen, is one of the 
blackest crimes recorded in history. 

The cruelties of Elizabeth's rule in Ireland would 
fill a volume- Hugh O'Neill, Prince of Tyrone, Hugh 
O'Donnell, Prince of Tyrconnell, and other Irish 
chiefsf bravely battled for faith and country against 
the female tyrant. For fifteen years they defied the 
power of England and skilfully routed her best gen- 
erals. This was at a time when, in the words of a 
famous historian, "it was enough to be an Irishman 
to be persecuted, and a Catholic to be crucified." 
"Has Tyrone submitted?" gasped the dying Eliza- 
beth. "No," answered the statesmen who gathered 
around her bed; and the last of the Tudors passed 
from earth, vexed at the thought that an Irish prince 
still defied her power. 



* The minority in England who adhered to the ancient faith 
became the victims of an organized system of persecution and 
plunder. Open a book by Cardinal Allen, and a score of mar- 
tyred priests, of harried and plundered laymen, of tortured con- 
sciences and bleeding hearts, will blot out from your view the 
smiling images of peace and plenty. — Thomas Arnold. 

t Principally O'Kane. O'Doherty, MacMahon, MacGuire, Magen- 
nis, MacSweeney, and O'Hanlon. 



130 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



Elizabeth was a vain, able, and imperious woman. 
At her death 3000 dresses were found in her wardrobe. 
During her last years the Protestant bishop of Lon- 
don, on one occasion, ventured in his sermon to raise 
her thoughts from the ornaments of dress to the 
riches of Heaven ; but she told her ladies that, if he 
touched on that subject again, she would fit him for 
Heaven. 

2. Scotland, 1500-1600. — In 1503 the Scottish 
monarch, James IV., married the princess Margaret, 
daughter of Henry VII. of England. The harmony 
which this alliance produced between the two king- 
doms did not last long. James declared war against 
Henry VIII. The battle of Flodden Field was 
fought, and on it fell the Scottish king and the flower 
of his nobility. He was succeeded by his infant son, 
James V ., who on reaching manhood, found himself 
involved in w r ar with his uncle, Henry VIII. The 
military disasters of his reign hastened his death, a 
few days before which was born to him a daughter 
destined to be famous in history as Mary Queen of 
Scots. 

The beauty, virtue, and accomplishments of this 
royal lady, her misfortunes and her heroic death, are 
events well known. The introduction of Protestant- 
ism into Scotland, and the preaching of such fanati- 
cal apostates as Jolm Knox, upset all law and order. 
The passions ran wild. Mobs ruled. Mary was pow- 
erless. 

The unhappy queen fled to England and threw her- 
self on the generosity of her cousin Elizabeth, who 
promised her every protection. But the English queen 
was as cruel as she was treacherous. She beheld in 
Mary Stuart a Catholic and a rival to the throne. 
Her course was worthy of royal ruffianism. Elizabeth 
had the Queen of Scots thrown into prison, where for 



SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 



131 



eighteen years she languished in captivity, only to end 
her career on the block. 

How impressive was the scene that marked the last 
moments of that noble woman ! Historians tell us 
that, with an ivory crucifix in her hand, Mary Stuart 
advanced into the hall of execution with the grace and 
majesty so often displayed in her happier days, and in 
the palace of her fathers. Her last words were : "Into 
thy hands, Lord, I commend my spirit !" At the 
third stroke of the axe, the most queenly head in 
Europe was severed from the body, and the pure and 
lofty spirit of the last Catholic queen of Scotland 
passed into eternity. 

3. Chief Agents Influencing the Progress of 
English Literature in the Sixteenth Century. 
— The chief agents that influenced the progress of 
English literature in this century were: (1) The 
printing press; (2) the mature condition of the Eng- 
lish language, which had just reached that advanced 
stage of growth and development that made it a grand 
and polished instrument for all the higher purposes 
of prose and poetry; (3) the study of the Latin and 
Greek classics and the poetry of Italy; (4) the in- 
creased number of colleges and public schools, and the 
consequent diffusion of education ; (5) the rise of the 
middle classes of the people; (6) the discovery of 
America, and the circumnavigation of the earth. 
These last events fired the intellect and enthusiasm 
of Europe. Human curiosity marched over the globe. 

4. Rise of the English Drama. — The Drama is 
not a modern invention. Regular dramatic entertain- 
ments were given in Greece as early as 535 B. a, and 
at Rome in 240 b. c. The ancient drama perished 
with the downfall of pagan Rome. 



132 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



In later times Catholic taste and piety revived dra- 
matic exhibitions. First came the Miracle Plays. 
For their origin we must go back to the Middle Ages. 
The earliest miracle-play on record is the Play of St. 
Catherine. It was written in French, and was repre- 
sented at Dunstable, England, in 1119. The oldest 
manuscript of a miracle-play in English is one en- 
titled the Harrowing of Hell, that is, the spoliation of 
hell by our Blessed Eedeemer. It was written about 
the year 1350. 

A miracle-play was some mystery of religion, or 
story from Holy Scripture, or from the lives of the 
saints, dramatized for the purpose of instructing the 
people in a pleasing manner, and initiating them into 
the spirit of the festivals which the Church celebrated. 
Few among them could read and study the explana- 
tions of the festivals, but all could take in and appre- 
ciate what was placed before their eyes. In England 
the miracle-play did not altogether die out before the 
early part of the seventeenth century. 

The Moralities, or Moral Plays, soon partly dis- 
placed the miracle-plays, and came into great favor in 
England about the middle of the fifteenth century. 
Their object was also to promote religious ideas ; but 
in manv respects they differed widely from the mir- 
acle-plays. Virtues and abstract qualities took the 
place of the historical personages of Scripture. In- 
stead of the Adam, Moses, Herod, and Pontius Pilate 
of the miracle-play, we find Justice, Mercy, Temper- 
ance, and Vice as characters in the moral play. Vir- 
tues and vices talk, jest, and act. 

But with the universal popularity of the miracle 
and moral plays came their abuse, and they were 
finally discouraged by the Church. They prepared the 
way, however, for the modern drama. 



SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 



133 



We may date the rise of the English drama from 
about the middle of the sixteenth century. The three 
earliest English comedies were Ralph Roister Doister, 
The Historic of Jacob and Esau, and Gammer Gur- 
tons Needle. The first dates from about 1553; the 
second was written about 1557-1558; and the third in 
1566. Gorboduc* the first English tragedy, was by 
Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville, and was acted 
in 1562. 

During the next thirty years a number of wild, 
gifted, and scholarly young men tried their hands at 
play-writing. At the head of these stood Christopher 
Marlowe. But a far greater was to come. The culmi- 
nating point in English dramatic literature was 
reached in the prince of dramatists — the myriad- 
minded Shakespeare. 

5. Condition of the English Language in the 
Sixteenth Century. — With the beginning of the 
sixteenth century we enter on the period of Modern 
English. The language had, by slow degrees, become 
a polished and mighty instrument of expression. It 
was now adequate to all the wants of poetry. And in 
the hands of the great Sir Thomas More it exhibited, 
for the first time, its real powers as a vehicle for dig- 
nified prose. Morels History of the Life and Death of 
King Edward Y., and of the Usurpation of Richard 
III., written about the year 1513, is, according to Hal- 
lam, the first good specimen of classical English prose, 
"pure and conspicuous, well chosen, without vulgar- 
isms or pedantry/' 

"The English language," says Henry Eeed, writing 
of the sixteenth century, "was now better fitted for 
all the uses of literature, more adequate to the needs 



* Sometimes called Ferrex and Porrex. 



134 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



of philosophic thought, and of deep and varied feel- 
ing — at once stronger, more flexible, and more copious. 
It was now one mighty flood no longer showing the 
separate colors of the two streams which filled its 
channel — colors caught from different soils, the Saxon 
and the Norman, in which they had their springs. 
The hidden harmonies of the language were disclosed, 
and its power of more varied music shown. The peo- 
ple's speech had grown to its full stature." 



LESSON I. 

GAVIN DOUGLAS. DIED 1522. 

Chief works: (1) Translation of Virgil's JEneid. 

(2) King Hart. 

(3) The Police of Honour. 

1. Who has the special honor of having heen the first to 
translate any of the ancient classic poems into any British 
tongue? 

Gavin Douglas, a learned Catholic bishop of Dun- 
keld. 

2. Where was he born, and to what historic family did he 
belong? 

Gavin Douglas was born in Scotland, and was a 
younger son of the fifth Earl of Angus, Archibald 
Douglas, known in Scottish historv as "Archibald 
Bell-the-Cat." 

3. Give some of the chief points in his life. 

He studied at the University of Paris, entered the 
religious state, became abbot of Arbroath, and finally 
bishop of Dunkeld. 

4. Which is the most remarkable production of the poet- 
bishop's pen? 

His elegant and scholarly translation of Virgil's 
Aeneid into "Scottis," as he called that peculiar form 



SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 



135 



of English which was the vernacular of the lowlands 
of Scotland.* 

5. Which are his other chief works? 

King Hart and The Police (i. e., Palace) of Hon- 
our/* two long allegorical poems. 

6. Where did Bishop Douglas die? 

After the disastrous battle of Flodden Field, mis- 
fortune frowned on the warlike house of Douglas, and 
the gentle and gifted bishop was compelled to fly to 
London, where he died of the plague in 1522. 

7. What was his character? 

A member of a warlike family, in a rude age and 
country, Bishop Douglas was noted for his refine- 
ment, scholarly tastes, peacefulness, and gentle vir- 
tues. 

8. In which of his poems does Sir Walter Scott draw a touch- 
ing picture of Gavin Douglas? 

In his Marmion, where, describing a striking scene, 
he says : 

'Amid that dim and smoky light, 
Chequering the silvery moonshine bright, 

A bishop by the altar stood, 

A noble lord of Douglas blood, 
With mitre sheen, and rocquet white ; 
Yet showed his meek and thoughtful eye 
But little pride of prelacy : 
More pleased that, in a barbarous age, 
He gave rude Scotland Virgil's page, 
Than that beneath his rule he held 
The bishopric of fair Dunkeld." 



* Bishop Douglas made this translation in 1512 and 1513. 

t The Police of Honour was written in 1501. The leading idea 
of the poem and some of the details seem to be reproduced in 
Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, a work composed about 180 years 
later. It is possible that Bunyan drew from the work of the 
Catholic Bishop much unacknowledged material. 



\ 



136 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



LESSON II. 
WILLIAM DUNBAR. DIED C. 1520. 



Chief works: <1> The Dance of the Sevin Deidly Synnis* 
{2) The Thrissill and the Bois.^ 
(3) The Merle and the Nightingale. 

9. What poet has received the title of "the Chaucer of 
Scotland" ? 

William Dunbar, the greatest of the Scottish poets. 

10. Give a short account of his early life. 

He was born in Scotland, belonged to a family of 
distinction, and was educated at the University of St. 
Andrews, where he took the degree of M. A. He 
then entered the Order of St. Francis,! was ordained 
priest, and spent many years as a missionary, travel- 
ling on foot through Scotland, England, and France, 
and living on the alms of the faithful. 

11. In what capacity was Dunbar subsequently employed by 
his sovereign, James IV. of Scotland? 

As ambassador in conducting negotiations with va- 
rious foreign courts. It was thus he gained that wide 
experience and deep knowledge of men and things 
which afterwards greatly aided him in his literary 
labors. § 



* That is, The Dence of the Seven Deadly Sins. 
t That is, The Thistle and the Rose. 

i In early life Dunbar entered the novitiate of the Francisrn.i 
Order, but does not appear to have taken the vows. — Thomus 
Arnold. 

§ "Dunbar's works, with a small exception," writes Dr. Hart, 
"remained in manuscript unknown to the world for more than 
two centuries, and it is only within the memory of persons still 
living that full justice has been done his merits. His poems be- 
gan to attract attention about the middle of the last [eighteenth] 
century, and since that time his fame has been steadily rising : 
and it became at length so great that in 1834 a complete edition 
of his works was printed." — Manual of English Literature, 



SIXTEENTH CEXTUKY. 



137 



12. Into how many classes are Dunbar's poems divided? 

Into three classes — the allegorical, the moral, and 
the humorous. 

13. Which are his best and most original allegorical poems? 

The Dance of the Sevin Deidly Synnis and The 
Thrissill and the Rois, 

14. What is the Dance of the Sevin Deidly Synnis? 

It is a long allegorical poem, the scene of which is 
in the infernal regions. Mahoun (that is, Satan) 
presides. In the fearful dance Pride leads the other 
Deadly Sins. Each of the seven is a terrible person- 
age, painted in horror's darkest hues, and lighted in 
the dance by the lurid flames in which he leaps. The 
Dance of the Sevin Deidly Synnis is a masterpiece. 

15. What is the Thrissill and the Rois ? 

It is a fine allegorical poem, commemorating the 
marriage of the English Princess Margaret to James 
IY. of Scotland in 1503. The Rose, the type of beau- 
ty, is wedded to the Thistle, the type of strength, who 
is commanded to cherish well and guard his Kose.* 
Many critics consider this Dunbar's most perfect 
poem. 

16. Which is considered the best of Dunbar's moral poems? 

The Merlef and the Nightingale, a beautiful poem 
in which the two rival songsters debate in alternate 
stanzas the merits of earthly and heavenly love. The 
Merle argues that human love is best. The Night- 
ingale replies in behalf of the love of God. The last 
verse comes to the conclusion that "all love is lost but 
upon God alone."J 



* The Thistle symbolizes Scotland ; the Rose, England, 
t Merle, the blackbird. 

t Or, as Dunbar wrote it, "All lufe is lost bot vpone God al 
lone." 



138 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



17, What may be said of his humorous poems? 

Though full of the most genuine fun and the keenest 
wit, there is in most of Dunbar's humorous pieces 
an element of coarseness and indecency, which unhap- 
pily detracts not a little from their merits. 

18. What is Dunbar's rank in English literature? 

He is one of the great writers in the English lan- 
guage, and is certainly the greatest poet betiveen 
Chaucer and Spenser. 



"A poet unrivalled by any that Scotland has ever produced." — - 
Sir Walter Scott. 

"In the poetry of Dunbar we recognize the emanations of a 
mind adequate to splendid and varied execution. As a descrip- 
tive poet he has received superlative praise. In his allegorical 
poems we discover originality and even sublimity of invention." 
— Irving. 

"Burns is the only name among the Scottish poets that can be 
placed in the same line with that of Dunbar ; and even the in- 
spired ploughman, though the equal of Dunbar in comic power 
and his superior in depth of passion, is not to be compared witu 
the elder poet either in strength or in general fertility of im- 
agination." — Craik. 



LESSON" III. 

HEXRY HOWARD, EARL OF SURREY. DIED 1547. 

Chief works: (1) Translation of tlie Second and Fourth Books 
of Virgil's JEneid. 
(2) Songs and Sonnets. 

19. Who was Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey? 

Henry Howard, sometimes styled "the English Pe- 
trarch," was a member of the ancient and noble Cath- 
olic family of the Howards, and eldest son of the third 
Duke of Xorfolk. His is one of the youngest, bright- 
est, and most romantic names in the history of Eng- 
lish literature. 

20. What are we told of Surrey's romantic career? 

It was very eventful. He was a gay, gifted, brave 
young man, who early learned the secret of joining 



SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 



139 



brain to action. A knight, a great lord, a relative of 
the king, he had made war, commanded fortresses, 
mounted to assaults, fought tournaments, and written 
sonnets before he was thirty years of age. 

21. What was his unhappy fate? 

Having fallen under the displeasure of king Henry 
VIII., the brilliant but unhappy Howard, on a friv- 
olous charge, was cast into the Tower of London; 
and, while still in the bloom of youth, was barbar- 
ously executed, his bright hair, all dabbled in blood, 
sweeping the dust of the scaffold.* 

22. Which are Surrey's chief literary productions? 

His Translation of the Second and Fourth Books of 
Virgil's Aeneid into English and his Songs and Son- 
nets. 

23. What is remarkable ahout his translation of the Aeneid? 

It is the first specimen of blank- verse in English 
literature. Surrey deserves the title of Father of 
English Blank-verse. f 



* Political and religious animosity was the chief but secret 
cause of Lord Surrey's death. Henr.y VIII. had him convicted on 
a flimsy charge of treason, and we all know what treason meant 
in the reign of that merciless tyrant. The defence of the gifted 
poet and gallant young soldier was nobly eloquent — unanswerable. 
But he was condemned to die. and "his early and unmerited death 
deepens the romantic interest that surrounds his name." 

t Surrey borrowed his blank-verse from Italy, where it began 
to be used in the early part of the sixteenth century. His trans- 
lation of the two books of the ^Jneid is thought to be simply an 
imitation of the Italian version of Cardinal de' Medici. Of Sur- 
rey, Hallam says : "No one before his time had known how to 
translate or imitate with appropriate expression." 

It is its form in blank-verse that so strikingly distinguishes 
the language of Shakespeare from that of Chaucer. 



10 



140 



LESSONS IX ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



24, What other new forms of poetical composition did he help 
to introduce into English literature? 

With Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503-1542), he intro- 
duced the Sonnet* and other new and beautiful forms 
of verse, nearly all borrowed from the Italian, into 
English poetry. 

"Surrey has the merit of having restored to our poetry a cor- 
rectness, polish, and general spirit of refinement such as it had 
not known since Chaucer's time." — Craik. 

"Surrey, for justness of thought, correctness of style, and 
purity of expression, may justly be pronounced the first English 
classical poet." — Wartoti. 

"In his purification of English verse, he did good service by 
casting out those clumsy Latin words with which the lines of 
even Dunbar are heavily clogged." — Collier. 



LESSOX IV. 

CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE. DIED 1593. 

Chief works: (1) Tamburlaine the Great. 

(2) The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus. 

(3) The Jew of Malta. 

(4) The Massacre at Paris. 

(5) Edward II. 

<6> Translation of the Elegies of Ovid. 

(7) Hero and Leander. 

25. Who was Christopher Marlowe? 

The ablest of the English dramatists before Shake- 
speare, he may be considered the forerunner of that 
great literary master. 

26. Give a few of the chief events in his life. 

The son of a shoemaker,, Marlowe was born at Can- 
terbury, England, and received a learned education 



* The sonnet is also borrowed from Italian literature. There 
is a remarkable sweetness and polish about Surrey's ''Songs and 
Sonnets." Like the productions of Petrarch, most of them treat 
of love, the star of inspiration being the beautiful Geraldine, a 
daughter of the Earl of Kildare. in Ireland. "It was a pure love." 
says Taine. "to which Surrey gave expression ; for his lady, the 
beautiful Geraldine, like Beatrice and Laura, was an ideal per- 
sonage — a child of thirteen years." 



SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 



141 



at Cambridge, where he took the degree of M. A. He 
drifted into atheism, led a wild, disgraceful life, and 
finally died of a wound which he had received in a 
miserable tavern brawl.* 

27. Give the title of Marlowe's first drama, and mention some 
Temarkable feature of the work. 

His first drama was Tamburlaine the Great. It 
was composed before his graduation, and was among 
the first English plays written in Hank-verse. 

28. Which is his second play and what does it exhibit? 

His second play is The Tragical History of Dr. 
Faustus. It exhibits a much higher and wider range 
of dramatic power than his first tragedy.f 

29. What have you to remark of The Jew of Malta? 

It is considered a play of much power and origi- 
nality. It is said that its principal character fur- 
nished Shakespeare with the first idea of his Shyloek.% 

30. What is the play entitled Edward II.? 

It is a tragedy based on English history. Eminent 
critics consider it Marlowe's ablest production, and 
the best historical play before the time of Shakespeare. 

31. Did Marlowe write anything except dramas? 

He left some pretty^ lyrics behind him, a few of 
which still find a place in collections of poetry. He 

* There was. indeed, hardly a Christian element in Marlowe's 
untamable nature ; and, although he was called a skeptic, infi- 
delity in him took the form of blasphemy rather than of denial. 
He was made up of vehement passions, vivid imagination, and 
lawless self-will ; and what Hazlitt calls "a hunger and thirst 
after unrighteousness" assumed the place of conscience in his 
haughty and fiery spirit. — Whipple. 

f His Faustus perhaps best reflects his whole genius and ex- 
perience. The subject must have taken strong hold of his nature, 
for, like Faustus, he had himself doubtless held intimate business 
relations with the great enemy of mankind, and was personnlly 
conscious of the struggle in the soul between the diabolical and 
the divine. — Whipple. 

t In The Merchant of Venice, 



142 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



also translated the Elegies of Ovid and wrote in heroic 
couplets a poem entitled Hero and Leander, which re- 
mained unfinished at his untimely death. 

32. What may be said of Marlowe's style? 

It is marked by force and vigor, with which there 
mingles an element of bombast and exaggeration. 
Ben J onson speaks of "Marlowe's mighty line/' 



LESSON V. 

ROBERT SOUTHWELL. DIED 1595. 
Chief works: Fifty -five Poems. 

33. Who was Robert Southwell ? 

He was a Jesuit Father, a hero, a charming poet, 
and one of the real refiners of the English language. 

34. State some of the chief events in his life. 

Southwell belonged to an ancient Catholic family, 
and was born in Norfolk, England. He made his 
studies in the English college at Douay.* The poet 
went to Eome, and in his eighteenth year entered the 
Society of Jesus. Being raised to the priesthood, he 
returned to his native country as a missionary, and, 
for six years, secretly labored for the salvation of 



* B«y the zeal of the learned Catholic professors who were ban- 
ished from Oxford — and especially of the famous Cardinal Allen 
— an English college was established at Douay, in France, 156i 
For nearly two centuries and a half the Catholic students of 
Great Britain directed their footsteps to this renowned institu- 
tion. Here the flame of faith was nourished and the light of 
knowledge kept burning when all was bigotry and religious dark- 
ness in the once Catholic land of England — the home of the 
holy Bede and the great Alfred. Here were trained those bands 
of devoted priests who laid down their lives in laboring to re- 
store the true faith among their unhappy countrymen. Here 
our Catholic Bible was. in part, translated into English. Here 
the pious and learned Alban Butler, author of the Lives of the 
Saints t received his education. 



SIXTEENTH CEKTURY. 



143 



souls in face of penal laws that threatened him with 
a death certain and terrible. 

35. When was Father Southwell arrested? 

In 1592.. 

36. What followed his arrest? 

He was at once thrown into one of the most filthy 
dungeons in the Tower. For nearly three years the 
holy and heroic Jesuit bore this imprisonment, was 
brutally tortured on the rack thirteen different times, 
and finally executed at Tyburn with the most revolt- 
ing cruelties. 

37. What new element did this estimable man introduce into 
English poetry? 

Southwell, so to speak, Christianized English po- 
etry. He was the founder of the modern English 
style of religious poetry, being the first modern Eng- 
lishman who showed "how well verse and virtue suit 
together." 

38. When were his poems first issued, and were they popular? 

The first edition of his poems was issued the very 
year he was executed ; and so popular were those beau- 
tiful productions that during the next hundred years 
eleven editions were reprinted. 

39. Are Southwell's poems numerous? 

They are fifty-five in number. The longest is St 
Peter s Complaint. The most famous is perhaps The 
Burning Babe, of which Ben Jonson said that "if he 
had written that piece, he would have been content to 
burn many of his own poems/' 

40. What may he said of the merits of Southwell's poems? 

They are marked by quaint figures, much beauty of 
language, and purity of sentiment; and as they were 
chiefly composed in prison, they breathe a tone of 
quiet, lofty resignation. 



144 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



41. Did Southwell leave any productions in prose? 

He did. Mary Magdalen's Tears is his best-known 
production in prose, which, with him, is not less 
charming than his poetry. A deep, strong, loving 
heart sanctified all he wrote. 



"Southwell shows in his poetry great simplicity and elegance 
of thought and still greater purity of language. He has been 
compared in some of his pieces to Goldsmith, and the comparison 
seems not unjust." — Angus. 

"Southwell, it seems, was the founder of the modern English 
style of religious poetry ; his influence and example are evident 
in the work of Crashaw, or of Donne, or of Herbert, or Walker, 
or any of those whose devout lyrics were admired in later 
times." — Thomas Arnold. 



LESSON VI. 

EDMUND SPENSER. DIED 1599. 

Chief works : (1) The Shepherd's Calendar. 

(2) The Faerie Queene. 

(3) Complaints. 

(4) Amoretti and Epithalamion. 

(5) Astrophel. 

(6) View of the State of Ireland. 

42. Who was Edmund Spenser? 

With Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Milton, he ranks 
as one of the great masters of English poetry. 

43. What do we know of his early life? 

Very little; he was born in London, and educated 
at Cambridge, where he took the degree of M. A. 

44. On leaving college, where did Spenser live for some years? 

In the north of England. 

45. What position did Spenser obtain in 1580 through the in- 
fluence of Sir Philip Sidney, who was his warm personal friend? 

The position of Secretary to Lord Grey, who was at 
that lime appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. 



SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 



145 



46. How were his services in Ireland rewarded by Elizabeth? 

By many offices and appointments, and by the 
grant of Kilcolman Castle and 3000 acres of confis- 
cated land in the county of Cork.* This tract of 
country was one of the most beautiful in beautiful 
Ireland.f 

47. What celebrated poem did he write at his Irish residence? 

The Faerie Queene. 

48. What happened to Spenser the year before his death? 

With his family he was obliged to fly from Kil- 
colman Castle, which was committed to the flames, 
Hugh (yNeiil, the great Earl of Tyrone, was making 
a gallant struggle to regain the lost liberties of Ire- 
land. The spirit of insurrection spread over the is- 
land, and among the English adventurers who sought 
safety in flight was Edmund Spenser.! 

49. When and where did he die? 

At London, in 1599. He was buried in Westmins- 
ter Abbey. 

50. What was the first important poem published by Spenser? 

The Shepherd's Calendar, which made its appear- 
ance in 1579. 



* It was a gift plucked from the bleeding heart of unhappy Ire- 
land. 

t The castle of Kilcolman, from which the Desmonds had 
lately been driven, stood by a beautiful lake in the midst of an 
extensive plrnn p-irdled with mountain-ranges. Soft woodland 
and savage hill, shadowy river-glade and rolling ploughland, were 
all there to gladden the poet's heart with their changeful beauty 
and tinge his verse with their glowing colors. — Collier. 

It was in this retired Irish paradise that Spenser composed the 
greater part of his works, especially The Faerie Queene; and 
from the banks of the "gentle Mull a" we may still see how his 
famous poem is aglow with that delightful Munster scenery. 

% Spenser was regarded with odium by the Irish, who looked 
upon him as a polished robber and needy adventurer. 



146 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



51. What is the Shepherd's Calendar? 

It is a pastoral poem in twelve eclogues, different 
from one another in subject, treatment, and metre. 
It is modelled to some extent on Virgil's Bucolics, and 
perhaps still more on the Arcadia of the Italian poet 
Sannazaro. 

52. What is an eclogue? 

A pastoral composition, in which shepherds are in- 
troduced conversing with one another. 



LESSON" VII. 

SPENSER, CONTINUED. 

53. Which is Spenser's famous masterpiece? 

The Faerie Queene. 

54. What is The Faerie Queene? 

It is a great narrative poem in the form of an alle- 
gory. 

55. When did it first appear? 

The first three books were published in 1589. 

56. What does Spenser declare its object to be? 

He states that the object of the poem "was to fash- 
ion a gentleman in virtuous and gentle description." 

57. How is this poem divided? 

It is divided into six books, each book being subdi- 
vided into twelve cantos. 

58. What does each book picture to the mind? 

Each book has a story and a hero of its own, with 
a series of connected adventures, all intended to illus- 
trate some one great moral virtue. 



SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 147 

59. Of what does the first book treat? 

It treats of the adventures of St. George, the Red- 
Cross Knight, who represents the virtue of Holiness. 
The first book is the grandest of all. 

60. What does the second book recount? 

It recounts the adventures of Sir Guy on, or Tem- 
perance. ' • 

61. What does the third book give? 

It gives the adventures of Britomartis, or Chastity. 

62. What does the fourth book recount? 

It recounts the legend of Cambel and Triamond, or 
Friendship. 

63. What does the fifth book give? 

It gives the adventures of Sir Artegal, or Justice. 

64. What does the sixth and last book give? 

The adventures of Sir Calydore, or Courtesy* 

65. Who is the chief hero of the whole poem? 

Prince Arthur, the chivalrous Celtic warrior of the 
old British legends. At the opening of the poem he 
is supposed to have paid a visit to the court of the 
Fairy Queen^ in Fairyland, where the hero finds her 
holding a solemn festival during twelve days. 

66. Which are the chief qualities presented for our admir- 
ation in this poem? 

Heroic daring and ideal purity. 

67. As a literary artist, in what way does Spenser especially 
excel? 

As a scene-painter. He drew pen-pictures with 
unrivalled power. He describes to the eye. He gives 



* The Faerie Queene is an unfinished poem. Spenser's plan 
embraced twelve books; only six were completed, Still, it is 
tnorethan twice as long as Paradise Lost. 

t Hence the name of the poem. 



148 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



the distinctness of real objects to the airy conceptions 
of allegory. 

68. What name is given to the stanza used in The Faerie 
Queene? 

The Spenserian stanza, because invented by Spen- 
ser. It consists of nine lines of a peculiar construc- 
tion, of which the first eight are iambic pentameters 
and the ninth is an Alexandrine. The first line rhymes 
with the third, the second with the fourth, fifth, and 
seventh, and the sixth with the eighth and ninth. The 
rhyme scheme may be thus represented : a b a b b e b 
c c. 

69. Mention some of the more serious defects of this finb 
composition. 

The obsolete diction and cold, tedious allegory of 
The Faerie Queene repel most modern readers. It 
contains dozens of indecent passages, and is pervaded 
with an anti-Catholic spirit. - 

70. What are the contents of Complaints? 

That is a title given to a book, containing nine of 
Spenser's miscellaneous poems, which appeared in 
1591. 

71. What is meant by Amoretti and Epithalamion? 

The Amoretti were the 88 sonnets composed during 
his courtship of the lady whom he made his wife, and 
the Epithalamion is their marriage ode. Of the latter 
Hallam says : "I do not know any other nuptial song, 
ancient or modern, of equal beauty/ 

72. What is the Astrophel? 

It is an Arcadian elegy on Sir Philip Sidney's 
death. 

73. What is Spenser's chief work in prose? 

His View of the State of Ireland, 



SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 



149 



74, What may be said of this production? 

To the author of The Faerie Queene it is a disgrace. 
It might have come from the pen of the ruthless 
Cromwell. 

"The admiration with which Shakespeare regarded Spenser, 
and the care with which he imitated him in his lyrical and 
idyllic poems, are circumstances of themselves sufficient to make 
us study, with the liveliest interest, the poem of the Fairy 
Queen. " — F. Schlegel. 

".There is something in Spenser that pleases one as strongly 
in one's old age as it did in one's youth. I read the Fairy Queen 
when I was about twelve with a vast deal of delight, and I think 
it gave me as much when I read it over about a year or two 
ago." — Pope. 



LESSON VIII. 

THOMAS SACKYILLE, LORD BUCKHURST, EARL OF DOR- 
SET. DIED 1608. 

Chief works: (1) Gorboduc. 

(2) The Mirror for Magistrates. 

75. Where was Sackville born and educated? 

He was born in Sussex, England; and studied at 
both Oxford and Cambridge, taking his M. A. at the 
latter university. 

76. For what profession did he study? 

The law. 

77. "While still a student at the Temple,* what play did he 
assist in writing? 

A play entitled Gorboduc.]' 

78. Is Gorboduc a tragedy or a comedy, and what is re- 
markable about its history? 

Gorboduc is a tragedy. It -is the first instance in 
which blank-verse became the language of an English 



* The Temple is an edifice in London once occupied by the 
Order of Knights Templars, and now appropriated to the cham- 
bers of two inns of court. They are called the inner and the 
middte temple. 

f Sometimes called Ferrex and Porrex. 



150 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



dramatic composition. Thomas Norton wrote the first 
three acts, and Sackville the other two. 

79. Give the date of its production? 

It was first acted with great applause in 1561. 

80. What is Sackville's most remarkable work? 

A poem entitled The Mirror for Magistrates, 

81. State the design of this poem. 

It was designed to exhibit, in a series of metrical 
narratives and soliloquies, the calamities of men prom- 
inent in the history of England. 

82. Is the whole poem from Sackville's pen? 

No; the plan is his, but he wrote only the Induc- 
tion and one legend — that on the career of Henry 
Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. Other duties soon 
compelled Sackville to commit the completion of the 
poem to two inferior poets. 

83. What honors and dignities were heaped on Sackville, the 
duties of which transferred his mind from literature to politics? 

Soon after the production of Gorboduc Elizabeth 
created him Lord Buckhurst ; m 1599 he became Lord 
Treasurer of England, an office which he held up to 
the date of his death ; and in 1604 he was created 
Earl of Dorset by James I. 

84. What may be said of the merits of that part of The 
Mirror for Magistrates which was written by Sackville? 

Though it contains but a few hundred lines, yet 
these are sufficient to place Sackville high on the list 
of British poets.* 



* Speaking of the Mirror for Magistrates, Craik says that it 
"must be considered as forming the connecting link between the 
Canterbury Tales and the Fairy Queen." It should be remem- 
bered that the Mirror for Magistrates was written in 1558, when 
Spencer was but five years of age. 



SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 



151 



LESSON IX. 

SIR THOMAS MORE. DIED 1535. 

Chief works : ( 1 ) Utopia. 

(2) History of the Life and Death of King Ed- 

ward V. s and of the Usurpation of Rich- 
ard III. 

(3) Theological Writings, 

(4) Letters. 

85. Who is the earliest and most distinguished among the 
English prose-writers of tne sixteenth century? 

Sir Thomas More, one of the most shining and il- 
lustrious names in the history of England. 

86. Where and when was More horn? 

At London, in 1478. He was the only son of Sir 
Thomas More, a judge of the court of King's Bench. 

87. After a course of private study, where was he placed in 
his fifteenth year? 

As a page in the household of Cardinal Morton, 
Archbishop of Canterbury. Here he mingled in the 
society of the most learned and celebrated men of the 
times. "This child here waiting at the table/' the 
Cardinal used to say, "whoever shall live to see it, 
will prove a marvellous man/' 

88. What did Dean Colet of St. Paul's remark of young 
More's keen sense and ready wit? 

"There is but one wit in England, and that is young 
Thomas More." 

89. At which of the universities did More study? 

At Oxford, where he greatly distinguished himself 
as a scholar.* 



* It is said, among other things, that More wrote many English 
poems of much merit during his university career. 



152 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



90. Give a short account of his public career. 

He became a lawyer, and rose rapidly in his profes- 
sion. At twenty-six he was a member of the English 
Parliament. He was employed in negotiations with 
various European powers, was appointed Treasurer of 
the Exchequer, became Speaker of the House of Com- 
mons, and, on the fall of Wolsey, he was raised to the 
office of Lord High Chancellor of England.* 

91. How did he discharge the duties of this high and perilous 
office? 

With a singular purity and manly integrity that 
were the admiration of a corrupt age. 

92. What was the end of this illustrious man? 

He fell a victim to the tyranny of Henry VI IT. 
Because More, as a faithful Catholic, refused to ac- 
knowledge the royal apostate as head of the Church of 
God in England, he was condemned to death, and 
cheerfully gave up his life for the true faith. f 



* For many years Henry VIII. had been the bosom-friend of 
More, upon whom he lavished every mark of esteem. The King 
often ran up to the Chancellor's quiet home at Chelsea to enjoy 
the wit, learning, and delightful society of the author of Utopia. 
It is said, however, that More always felt a secret distrust as to 
the disinterested sincerity of Henry's friendship ; and time, un- 
happily, proved the depth of his keen insight into human char- 
acter. 

t More's death, like his life, was lit up with the joy of a pure 
conscience and the beautiful brightness of Christian heroism. 
On the way to execution he was met by his favorite daughter, 
Margaret, and the scene was most touching. As he climbed upon 
the shaky scaffold, he gayly remarked to the lieutenant, "Pray, 
see me safely up ; and for my coming down let me shift for my- 
self." He embraced the headsman, and forgave him, saying, 
"You are to do me the greatest benefit that I can receive ; pluck 
up your spirit, man, and be not afraid to do your work." A 
moment passed, the cruel axe fell, and the wisest, most learned, 
and most venerable head in England was severed from the body ; 
and thus died for truth, and justice, and the Catholic faith, the 
great Sir Thomas More. 

"More." writes Charles Butler, "was one of the greatest pro- 
moters of classical learning. The letters which passed between 
him and Erasmus are elegant and interesting; those in which the 
latter relates his tragical end and records his great and amiable 
virtues are pathetic and beautiful in the highest degree." — His- 
torical Memoirs, Vol. I. 



SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 



153 



LESSON X. 

SIR THOMAS MORE, CONTINUED. 

93. What is More's best-known work? 

The Utopia, which he wrote in Latin.* It was 
translated into English by Balph Eobynson in 1551. 

94. What is the meaning of the word Utopia? 

The word Utopia is derived from the Greek, and 
literally signifies nowhere. The island of Utopia was 
the land of nowhere. 

95. What is the nature of the book to which this odd name 
is given? 

It is a political romance in which More pictures a 
model republic on an imaginary island named Uto- 
pia.f Here all the laws and all the customs of society 
were marked by wisdom and goodness. 

96. What was the object of this strange book? 

It was clearly a satire on the society of the sixteenth 
century. In the imaginary island of Utopia, English 
vices, follies, errors and blunders were carefully 
shunned.! 

97. Mention some of the laws and customs that ruled in 
Utopia. 

All those model islanders learn agriculture. All 
have trades at which they work six hours a day and 



* It was published in 1516. 

f Hence our adjective Utopian, meaning foolish, fanciful, or im- 
possible. 

% To More must be given the credit of originating in England 
that peculiar kind of composition which we may style political 
romance. Among his distinguished followers in* the same field 
were Bacon with the New Atlantis, Harrington with Oceana, 
Swift with Gulliver's Travels, Samuel Butler with Erewhon 
(1872). and perhaps William Morris with News from Nowhere. 



154 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



no more. War is unknown, and religious persecution 
unheard of. There are no taverns, no ever-changing 
fashions, few laws, and no lawyers.* 

98. What can you say of More's History of the Life and Death 
of King Edward V., and of the Usurpation of Richard III.? 

It is the earliest historical work in the English lan- 
guage; and it has been warmly praised for its beauty 
of diction and for the ease and spirit of the narrative. 
It is, however, incomplete. 

99. Did More produce anything on religious subjects? 

He did. In his day the religious question agitated 
Europe, and the ancient faith had no braver defender 
than the learned and brilliant author of Utopia. 

100. Mention some of his religious writings. 

(1) His answer to Luther's attack on the King of 
England; (2) his Dialogue on Heresies; and (3) His 
explanation of the Passionf of our Blessed Lord, with 
a beautiful prayer .% 

101. What may be said of More's Letters? 

They are the earliest specimens of simple, charm- 
ing, and dignified epistolary correspondence in the 
English language. 

102. Had he much reputation as an orator? 

His speeches have not come down to us ; but tradi- 



* When the Utopia of Sir Thomas More was first published, it 
occasioned a pleasant mistake. This political romance repre- 
sents a perfect but visionary republic, in an island supposed to 
have been newLy discovered in America. "As this was the age 
of discovery," says Granger, "the learned Budeus, and others, 
took it for a genuine history ; and considered it as highly expedi- 
ent that missionaries should" be sent thither in order to convert 
so wise a nation to Christianity." 

t This volume on the Passion was More's last. It remains un- 
finished. On the last page the ancient editor adds these touching 
words : "Sir Thomas More wrote no more of this worke ; for when 
he had written this farre, he was in prison kept so streyght, that 
all his bokes and penne and ynke and paper was taken from 
hym, and soon after he was putte to death." 

t This prayer can be seen at page 315, Garden of the Soul. 



SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 



155 



tion assigns to Sir Thomas More the earliest place 
on the glorious roll of English parliamentary ora- 
tors.* 



LESSON XL 



ASCHAM, SIDNEY, HOOKER. 



ROGER ASCHAM. DIED 1568. 

(1) ToxopMlus. (2) The Scholemaster. 

SIR PHILIP SIDNEY. DIED 1586. 

(1) Arcadia. (2) The Defence of Poesie* 

(3) Astrophel and Stella. 

RICHARD HOOKER. DIED 1600. 

The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity. 



103. Who was Roger Ascham? 

He was the tutor of Queen Elizabeth, and one of the 
most elegant and scholarly prose-writers of the six- 
teenth century. 



* The months of June and July. 1535, are remarkable ones in 
English histor t y. On the 7th day of July Sir Thomas More was 
beheaded. On the 22d of June — fifteen days previously — the ven- 
erable John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, perished on the scaffold. 
He was born in England about 1469. A stainless and beautiful 
life of 66 years had made him worthy to die a martyr. He de- 
nied that Henry VIII. could be head of the Church of Christ, and 
in those unhappy days such a denial was high treason — a crime 
to be punished on the block. He was seized and cast into the 
Tower. As the venerable Bishop lay in prison, the Pope sent 
him a cardinal's hat. "Ha !" exclaimed the royal monster. "Paul 
Eaa>y send him a hat. but I will leave him never a head to wear 
it !" He was as good as his word, and on the 22d of June the 
holy, learned, and eloquent John Fisher laid down his life for 
the truth. More and Fisher were devoted friends. Of these two 
great men we can truly say — illustrious in life, they were sub- 
lime in death. Both have been declared "Blessed" by the 
Church. 

Fisher merits a place in English Literature on account of his 
eloquent sermons, which were among the earliest specimens of 
classical pulpit oratory in the language. — See The Life of John 
Fisher, Cardinal-Bishop of Rochester ; with a% Appendix contain- 
ing his Funeral Sermons and Letters, by Miss Agnes L. Stewart. 

* "Poesie," i. e.. Poetry. 



11 



156 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



104. What is his Toxophilusl* 

It is a treatise on archery, in which he advocates the 
use of the bow and arrow as a pastime. 

105. Of what does his Scholemaster (that is, Schoolmaster) 
treat 1 

It is a work on education, in many ways remarkable 
for its keenness and good sense. It remained unfin- 
ished at his death. 

106. Who was Sir Philip Sidney? 

He was one of the most gifted young Englishmen 
of the reign of Elizabeth, as a soldier, statesman, and 
writer. 

107. What is the n?-hire of his work entitled Arcadia? 

It is a tedious pastoral romance, in prose and verse, 
founded upon the Arcadia of Sannazaro and influ- 
enced also by Spanish romances. 

108. Which is Sidney's chief prose production? 

The Defence of Poesie. On this work rests his rep- 
utation as an English classic prose-writer. 

109. What is the Defence of Poesie? 

The title suggests the nature of the work. Stephen 
Gosson, in The School of Abuse, dedicated to Sidney, 
had made an attack on poetry. Sidney became its vin- 
dicator, and in his book, which is quite short, proves 
the high uses of poetry to man, and shows that it is 
the brightest flower in the field of literature. f 

110. What is meant by Astrophel and Stella? 

That is the title given to a collection of 108 sonnets 
and 11 songs, in which Sidney celebrated his love for 



* Toaeoohilus is from tne Greek, and signifies a lover of archery. 

t Sidney was fatally wounded at the battle of Zutphen, Sep- 
tember 22. 1586, and, after enduring great pain, died twenty- 
five days later, in his thirty-second year. He was buried in St. 
Paul's Cathedral, London. His contemporary reputation as a 
poet was very high. 



SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 157 

Penelope Devereux, daughter of the Earl of Essex, 
and wife of Lord Kich. 

111. Who was Richard Hooker? 

He was a minister of the Anglican Church and one 
of the ablest advocates of that institution. 

112. Which is his principal work? 

Of The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity. 

113. What is the object of this treatise? 

Its general object was to defend the English Prot- 
estant Churchy its laws, rites, and ceremonies, from 
the attacks of the Catholics and the Puritans or Cal- 
vinists. 

114. What are the merits of this work in a literary point of 
view? 

It was an important addition to the English prose 
literature of the sixteenth century, a masterpiece of 
reasoning and eloquence. The style is marked by 
much grace and dignity. 



Summary of Chapter III., Book II. 

1. The sixteenth century is the most eventful in 
English history. It carries us through the reigns of 
Henry VIII., Edward VI., Mary, and Elizabeth. 

2. It was in this age that Luther began the Kefor- 
mation in Germany. 

3. Henry VIII. withdrew his kingdom from the 
Catholic Church, and proclaimed himself head of the 
English Church. Monasteries were confiscated and 
libraries burned. 

4. Under Elizabeth Catholics were sorely perse- 
cuted. 



158 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



5. The Eeformation reached Scotland, and that 
kingdom became a prey to mobs and factions. Mary 
Queen of Scots fled to England., was cast into prison 
by Elizabeth, and, after eighteen years' imprisonment, 
was cruelly beheaded. 

6. The chief agents that influenced the literature 
of the sixteenth century were : (a) the printing press; 
(&)the mature condition of the English language, 
which had reached its full stature; (c) the study of 
the Latin and Greek classics and the poetry of Italy ; 
(d) the growth of schools and colleges and the spread 
of education; (e) the rise of the people in the scale 
of social and political importance; (/) the discovery 
of America and the circumnavigation of the globe. 

7. The English drama dates from the middle of 
the sixteenth century. . It reached its highest emi- 
nence in the plays of Shakespeare. 

8. Gavin Douglas, Catholic Bishop of Dunkeld, 
was the first to translate a Latin classic poem into 
English verse. 

9. William Dunbar was the greatest of the old 
Scottish poets. 

10. Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Earl 
of Surrey, introduced the sonnet and other lyric 
forms into English literature. Howard also intro- 
duced blank verse. 

11. Christopher Marloive wrote the first historical 
play^ in English. He also brought blank verse to per- 
fection as the medium of tragedy. 

12. Robert Southwell was the founder of the mod- 
ern religious poetry of England. 

13. Edmund Spenser is one of the great poets of 
English literature. The Faerie Queene is his master- 
piece. 



SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 



159 



14.. Sackvilles Gorboduc is the first English drama 
of any kind written in blank verse. 

15. Mores best-known work is his Utopia. 

16. He is the first person in British history distin- 
guished by the faculty of public speaking, and re- 
markable for the successful employment of it in Par- 
liament. 

17. More was the originator of political romance 
in England. He wrote the earliest historical work in 
the English language. He has the distinction of be- 
ing, on many grounds, one of the great, heroic men 
of all time. 

18. Bishop Fisher s Sermons may be considered 
the first productions of classical pulpit oratory in 
English. 

19. Asehanrs Scholemaster is one of the earliest 
important w r orks on education written in English. 

20. Sidney's Defence of Poesie is one of the earliest 
works in the department of English literary criticism. 

21. Hooker wrote English in a style of much ele- 
gance and dignity ; but he has often been censured for 
the great length of his sentences. 

22. Bird's-eye view of the chief British writers and 
works of the sixtenth century: 

poets : 

Gavin Douglas, The Police of Honour. 

William Dunbar, The Dance of the Sevin Deidly Synnis. 

Henry Howard, Songs and Sonnets. 

Christopher Marlowe, Edward II. 

Robert Southwell, Poems. 

Thomas Sackville, The Mirror for Magistrates. 
Edmund Spenser, The Faerie O-ueene. 

PROSE WRITERS I 

Sir Thomas More, Utopia. 

Roger Ascham, Toxophilus. 

Sir Philip Sidney. The Defence of Poesie. 

Richard Hooker, Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity. 



160 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

In the Short Dictionary at the end of this book 
reference is made to the following sixteenth century 
writers : 

John Bale; Alexander Barclay; Barnabe Barnes; 
Eichard Barnfield; John Bellenden; Hector Boece; 
Andrew Boorde; Nicholas Breton; Arthur Brooke; 
John Bourchier, Lord Berners; George Buchanan; 
William Camden ; Eichard Carew ; George Cavendish ; 
Henry Chettle; Henry Constable; Miles Coverdale; 
Samuel Daniel; John Davis; Michael Drayton; Sir 
Edward Dyer; Sir Thomas Elyot ; Eobert Fabyan; 
John Fisher; John Foxe; George Gascoigne; Stephen 
Gosson; Eobert Greene; Fulke Greville, Lord Brooke; 
Eichard Hakluyt; Edward Hall; Archbishop Hamil- 
ton ; Sir J ohn Harington ; Stephen Hawes ; John Hey- 
wood ; Sir Thomas Hoby ; Eaphael Holinshed ; Phile- 
mon Holland; Alexander Hume; William Hunnis; 
James YI. of Scotland; Quintin Kennedy; Walter 
Kennedy ; John Knox ; Thomas Kyd ; Hugh Latimer ; 
John Leland; John Leslie; Thomas Lodge; Eobert 
Lindesay ; John Lyly ; Sir David Lyndsay ; Sir Eich- 
ard Maitland ; John Major ; Sir James Melville ; Fran- 
cis Meres; Alexander Montgomerie; Anthony Mun- 
day; Thomas Nash; Sir Thomas North; William 
Painter ; George Peele ; George Puttenham ; Sir Wal- 
ter Ealeigh ; Barnabe Eich ; William Eoper ; Eeginald 
Scot; Alexander Scott; Eobert Sempill; John Skel- 
ton ; Eichard Stanyhurst ; Thomas Storer ; John Stow ; 
Josua Sylvester; Thomas Tusser; William Tyndale; 
Nicholas Udall; Edward de Yere, Earl of Oxford; 
William Warner; Thomas Watson; William Webbe; 
James, John, and Eobert W T edderburne ; George Whet- 
stone ; Ninian Winzet. 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



161 



CHAPTER IV. 

ENGLISH LITERATURE OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, 
A. D. 1600 to 1700. 
The Age of Shakespeare, Milton, and Dryden. 



HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 

L Glances at Great Britain in the Seven- 
teenth Century. — To Great Britain the seventeenth 
century was an age of political revolutions. The oc- 
cupants of the English throne were James I., Charles 
I., Charles II., James II., and William III. Of these, 
one lost his head on the block, and another was forced 
to fly from his kingdom. 

In 1603 began the reign of James I., the son of 
Mary Queen of Scots, and the first of the Stuart line 
that ascended the throne of England. Since that day 
England and Scotland have had a common ruler. 
James was but a year old when crowned King of Scot- 
land ; and he was thirty-seven when he became mon- 
arch of England. 

His arrogance and silly notions in relation to the 
royal power and prerogative added to the difficulties 
of his reign. The "divine right" of kings to govern 
without control was a theme ever in his mouth. He 
fawned on favorites, and despised the nation at large. 
Even the terrible Gun-powder Plot* neither opened 



* The Gunpowder Plot was the scheme of a few desperate men 
to blow up the king and the two Houses of Parliament. It was 
discovered just in time to prevent the catastrophe. Two hogs- 
heads and over thirty barrels of gunpowder had been stowed away 
in the cellar of the Parliament House. Guy Fawkes was the 
desperado appointed to fire the mine, and when asked by a 
Scottish nobleman why he had collected so much explosive ma- 
terial, the reply was. "To blew the Scottish beggars back- to their 
native mountains." 



162 



LESSONS IX ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



his eyes nor added wisdom or justice to his character. 
The Catholics were persecuted with fiendish ferocity,* 
and unhappy Ireland bled and groaned under his in- 
famous rule. 

James was desirous to be thought learned; but he 
was at best a vain, loquacious pedagogue. He wrote 
books against witches and the use of tobacco. Dur- 
ing his life, flatterers styled him the "British. Solo- 
mon." The Duke of Sully, however, declared that 
the royal Scotchman was "the wisest fool in Europe." 
It was during this reign that the Protestant version 
of the Scriptures known as King James's Bible, or the 
Authorized Version, was translated and published. f 

On the death of James, in 1625, his son, Charles I., 
ascended the throne. He had married a Catholic prin- 
cess, but to please the Puritans he persecuted the Cath- 
olics. The penal laws were enforced with great cruel- 
ty. But other difficulties soon arose. Charles had im- 
bibed the arbitrary principles of his father. Parlia- 
ment refused to grant the necessa?y supplies to carry 
on a war against France and Spain ; and Charles re- 
solved to rule without their aid and to levy money 
without their authority. Thus began a conflict that 
led to that most direful of national calamities — a civil 
war. Both the king and the parliament appealed to 



* It was at the bidding of .Tames I. that Catholics and all 
others who did not conform to the Anglican Protestant Church 
as by law established were excluded from the universities of Ox- 
ford and Cambridge. Laws were framed to that effect, and they 
were enforced until quite modern times. "An immortality of 
mischief." says MacKenzie. "seemed to have been conferred on 
that foolish king. Two centuries and a half after he was in 
his grave he had not yet ceased from troubling. His senseless 
and intolerant edicts still provoked strife among the English 
peoplp." 

f This noble monument of English was the result of the cele- 
brated Hampton Court Conference held in 1604. The translation, 
which was the work of fifty-four persons, of whom the names of 
only forty-seven have been preserved, was completed and pub- 
lished in 1611. 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



163 



the sword. The royalists were named Cavaliers* 
while the parliamentary forces were called Round- 
heads. f The war raged for nearly nine years. One 
battle followed another, until finally the royal stand- 
ard went down at J^aseby before the desperate charges 
of Oliver Cromwell and his famous Ironsides.% 
Charles surrendered himself to the Scottish army, kry 
which he was basely delivered to the English Parlia- 
ment for the sum of $2,000,000. He was tried, con- 
demned, and beheaded in 1649. 

The moment the head of this royal victim fell on 
the scaffold at Whitehall, a proclamation was read in 
Cheapside, declaring it treason to give to any person 
the title of king without the authority of Parliament; 
it had been previously enacted by the House of Com- 
mons that the supreme authority in the nation resided 
in the people's representatives. In a few days the 
House of Lords and the office of king were abolished. 
A republican form of government was established. 
The House of Commons, even before the trial of the 
king, had ordered a new Great Seal to be made, bear- 
ing the words, "In the first year of f reedom, by God's 
blessing restored, 1648. § The king's statue in the 
Exchange was thrown down, and on the pedestal was 
inscribed, Exit tyr annus, Regum ultimus — the tyrant 
is gone, the last of the kings ! 

The people of Ireland and Scotland, however, were 
still faithful in their allegiance to the fallen monarch. 
Cromwell was appointed commander-in-chief to carry 



* They were so named on account of the gaiety of their dress, 
manners, etc., as contrasted with the gloomy austerity of the 
Roundheads, or adherents of the Parliament. 

t This nickname was given to the Puritans, or parliamentary 
party, because they were accustomed to wear their hair cut close 
to the head. They were so called in opposition to the Cavaliers, 
who wore their hair in long ringlets. 

X A term applied to Cromwell's cavalry. 

§ 1649, New Style, 



164 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE, 



on the war against the Irish and Scottish royalists. 
He landed in Ireland. His course was marked by 
scenes of bloody butchery, and barbarous massacres; 
and the unfortunate country was speedily obliged to 
submit to his fanatical authority. He next directed 
his steps to Scotland, and, after several sanguinary 
conflicts, he routed the royalists, and completely es- 
tablished the rule of the Parliament. 

Cromwell, the desperate fanatic and master-tyrant 
of his age, now wielded immense power. He dis- 
solved the Long Parliament, and, after three months, 
assembled what is known as the Bar eb ones' Parlia- 
ment* It was composed of a body of out-and-out 
fanatics. It in turn was dissolved, and then a sort of 
council, consisting of military officers and others, con- 
ferred the title of Lord Protector of the Common- 
wealth of England on Cromwell, and clothed him with 
supreme authority. The Protector's rule, it must be 
said, advanced the military glory of England, Abroad 
his fleets and armies were victorious ; he obliged the 
Dutch to sue for peace, and he humbled the power of 
Spain. But the fanatical despot was far from happy. 
Well he knew that he was despised by the nation, when 
death called him away in 1658. 

In less than two years the Stuart line was restored 
in the person of Charles II., eldest son of Charles I.f 
The young king was welcomed with joy, but he 
proved to be one of the most worthless and arbitrary 
monarch s that had ever ruled England.' He soon 
plunged into a life of licentiousness. His example 



* So named from one of its members, Praise-God Barebones. 
He was a London leather-dealer. 

f From the reign of Charles I. to the beginning of the reign of 
Charles II. was the great period of pamphlet literature in Eng- 
land. "Nearly 30,000 pamphlets," says Shepherd, "were pub- 
lished between the close of the year 1640 and the Restoration, 
1660." They were the growth of strife and dissension. 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



.165 



exercised the most pernicious influence on the morals 
of the higher classes of his subjects; and his court 
became a school of vice in which the restraints of de- 
cency were laughed to scorn. 

During this reign London was visited by a plague 
which carried off 90,000 of its inhabitants; and in 
the following year* occurred the great fire by which 
13,200 houses in the metropolis were reduced to ashes. 
Wars and plots were numerous, and the Catholics 
were persecuted and calumniated with all the fury 
of insane fanaticism. One c f the venerable victims 
was Oliver PlunJeett, the saintly Archbishop of Ar- 
magh. When, however, the last hour of the weak 
and erring monarch arrived, he became a Catholic; 
and a good priest, at much risk, received him into the 
Church of ages, heard his confession, and gave the 
Holy Communion to the last Charles that occupied 
the throne of England, f 

As the king ■ died without leaving any legitimate 
children, he was succeeded by his brother, James 
II., in 1685. James was a Catholic. He "wished/' 
says Cobbett, "to put an end to the penal code; he 



*1666. 

t By law, the reconciliation of any person to the Catholic 
Church was an act of high treason. No priest could be privately 
introduced to the king for that purpose, while the room was 
crowded with lords, bishops, and medical attendants ; and to 
remove them without a plausible reason could only provoke sus- 
picion and inquiry. Having motioned the company to withdraw 
to the other end of the apartment, James — the Duke of York and 
the king's brother — knelt down by the pillow of the sick monarch, 
and asked if he might send for a Catholic priest. "For God's 
sake, do !" was the reply ; but he immediately added, "Will it not 
expose you to danger?" James replied that he cared not for 
the danger ; and, having dispatched a trusty messenger in search 
of a priest, stated aloud that the king required all present to quit 
the apartment, with the exception of the Earl of Bath, Lord of 
the Bed-chamber, and the Earl of Feversham, Captain of the 
Guard. In a short time, Hudleston, a priest, was led through 
the queen's apartments to a private door on the right hand of the 
bed ; and James introduced him to the king with these words : 
"Sir, this worthy man comes to save \your soul."— Lingard. 



166 LESSON'S IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



wished for general toleration; he issued a proclama- 
tion, suspending all penal law^ relating to religion, 
and granting a general liberty of conscience to all his 
subjects. This was his offence. For this he and his 
family were set aside forever !" 

Bigotry at once became alarmed. Six bishops of 
the Anglican Church sounded the tocsin of intoler- 
ance. As time passed the trouble increased. James 
became unpopular, and, without being suspected, his 
bitter enemies prepared the kingdom- for a general 
revolt. They secretly applied for aid to William, the 
Protestant Prince of Orange and son-in-law of James,* 
and offered him the throne. 

There was little delay. In November, 1688, Wil- 
liam sailed from Holland in pursuit of the English 
crown. The invader, in a few days, was joined by the 
greater part of the English army; and James sud- 
denly found himself deserted, even by those who owed 
all to his bounty. Among others who left him in 
this hour of dark distress was his favorite daughter 
Anne, who secretly withdrew to join the standard of 
the man who had pushed himself into the dominions 
of her father and was about to snatch the crown from 
his brow. 

The wretched king was unnerved by this ungrateful 
conduct, and exclaimed, "God help me! My own 
children have forsaken me in my utmost need." 
James and his queen fled to Prance. William and 
Mary were proclaimed sovereigns.! On the fatal 
banks of the Boyne, James saw his last hopes vanish ; 
and as we pass into the eighteenth century William 



* Tie was married to James's daughter, the Princess Mary. 

t It was then settled that the English sovereign must be a 
Protestant. Even in the present state of things, an English king 
or queen would forfeit the crown by becoming a Catholic, 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



167 



III., an intruding Dutchman, sits securely on the 
throne of Alfred the Great. 

2. Remarks on the British Literature of this 
Age. — The British literature of the seventeenth cen- 
tury reflects the eventful history of that age. Its 
chief representative names are Shakespeare, Jon- 
son, Massinger, Milton, Butler, Dryden, Bacon, 
Clarendon, and Walton. 

The immortal genius of Shakespeare made him the 
poet "not of an age, but of all time." Milton is the 
Puritan poet of the Commonwealth, and Clarendon is 
the royalist historian of the Great Rebellion. The 
contempt of the royalists for the Puritans was hearty, 
and it found full expression in Butler's Tludibras. 

The gloomy morals and grim fanaticism of the 
Commonwealth, when the theatres were closed* and 
amusement branded as a crime, were succeeded by 
the unbridled license of Charles II. and his court. 
Nor do English letters fail to reflect the new con- 
dition of things. The most remarkable illustration 
of this is to be found in the works of John Dryden. 
Every great event of the time, social, political, and 
religious, is mirrored in his poems; while unhappily 
he panders in his plays to the moral degeneracy of 
the court and nobility. But his last years were so 
redeeming, that we may well forget the errors of the 
Restoration dramatist in the glory of an old age grand 
and religious. 

New religious sects, bigoted, jealous, and warring, 
sprang up like mushrooms, each loudly claiming lib- 
erty of conscience, and all united in hating and per- 
secuting the unfortunate Catholics. The followers of 
the ancient faith were not to be tolerated, and thus, 



* They were closed from 1643, when the Puritans became mas- 
ters of London, until 1658. 



168 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



in the words of Arnold, they '•became an obscure and 
persecuted minorit} r , which for a hundred years al- 
most disappears from the public gaze and from the 
page of history/'* 

But in spite of its revolutions, follies, and fanati- 
cism, the seventeenth century was the great age of 
English literature. The English language reached 
the full meridian of its splendor in the Plays of 
Shakespeare.^ Bacon's Essays raised English prose to 
the pinnacle of condensation and beauty of expression. 
In Paradise Lost Milton gave England its greatest 
epic, and the genius of Dry den exhibited the riches, 
force, and flexibility of English speech in such a man- 
ner as to place him forever among the great masters 
of style. 



* During fhe reign of Charles I. and the rule of diabolical 
fanaticism that followed, the Catholics lost nearly everything 
that had escaped the destroying hand of the Reformation. Any- 
thing bearing the marks of the Catholic religion — be it book, 
statue, or picture — was burned by the Puritans. "The scarcity of 
books concerning the Catholics in this country" (England), writes 
I. D'Israeli. "is owing to two circumstances ; the destruction of 
Catholic books and documents by the pursuivants in the reign 
of Charles I., and the destruction of them by the Catholics them- 
selves from the dread of the heavy penalities in which their mere 
possession involved their owners." An impious wretch named 
Dowsing placed himself at the head of a mob of image-breakers. 
He kept a diary. "At Sunbury," he grimly writes, "we brake 
down ten mighty great angels in glass. At Barham. brake down 
the twelve apostles in the chancel, and six superstitious pictures 
more there: and eight in the church — one a lamb with cross (t> 
on the back." At another place they destroyed "six hundred 
superstitious pictures, eight Holy Ghosts, and three of the Son." 
And thus this destroying fiend and his party passed over ono 
hnndred and fifty parishes. 

Well did the poet write : 

"There might you see an impious clown 
Breaking our Saviour's image down ; 
And there you might behold another 
Tearing the picture of Christ's mother." 

f Shakespeare wrote some of his Plays as early as 1592. but 
it is pretty well settled that all his great masterpieces — as Ham- 
let, King Lear, Macbeth, Othello, Julius Cwsar — were written be- 
tween the year 1600 and his death in 1616. 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



LESSON I. 

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.* DIED 1616. 
Chief works: (1) Thirty-seven Plays. 

(2) Two Narrative Poems. 

(3 ) 154 Sonnets. 

1. Which is the greatest name in English literature? 

William Shakespeare. 

2. Where and when was he horn? 

At Stratford-on-Avon, England, in 1564. His par- 
ents were John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. 

3. Do we know much about his life ? 

The main facts of his life are well established; but 
obscurity shrouds some of the details. 

4. State the chief facts which have come down to us in re- 
lation to Shakespeare's career. 

He was educated at the grammar-school of his na- 
tive place ; married at the age of eighteen ; went to 
London about three years later ; became an actor, play- 
writer, and part owner of the Globe Theatre ; and fin- 
ally retired to Stratford a few years before his death, f 



* Variously has the name of the great dramatist been spelled. 
It is Shakespeare in the body of his will. He himself wrote it 
two different ways — ShaJcspeare and Shakspere. 

t Shakespeare, the recorded incidents of whose outward career 
were so few and trifling, lived a more various life — a life more 
crowded with ideas, passions, volitions, and events — than any 
potentate the world has ever seen. Compared with his experi- 
ence, the experience of Alexander or Hannibal, of Caesar or Na- 
poleon, was narrow and one-sided. He had projected himself 
into almost all the varieties of human character, and, in imagin- 
ation, had intensly realized and lived the life of each. From 
the throne of the monarch to the bench of the village alehouse, 
there were few positions in which he had not placed himself, and 
which he had not for a time identified with his own. No other 
man had ever seen nature and human life from so many points of 
view, for he had looked upon them through the eyes of Master 
Slender and Hamlet, of Caliban and Othello, of Dogberry and 
Mark Antony, of Ancient Pistol and Julius Ccesar, of Mistress 
Tearsheet and Imogen, of Dame Quickly and Lady Macbeth, of 
Robin Goodfellow and Titania, of Hecate and Ariel. * * * Cap- 
able of being all that he actually or imaginativelv sees, he enters 
at will, and abandons at will, the passions that brand or blast 
other natures. — Whipple. 



170 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



5. What is the date of his death? 
1616. 

6. Did Shakespeare before his death collect and publish his 
plays? 

No; but some years after his death this was done 
by Heming and Condell, two of his professional 
friends. 

7. How are his thirty-seven plays classed? 

They are commonly classed according to their na- 
ture into tragedies, comedies, and histories; 

8. How many of them are tragedies? 

Thirteen, 

9. How many are comedies? 

Fourteen. 

10. How many are histories? 

Ten. 

LESSOX II. 

SHAKESPEARE, CONTIN D ED. 

11. Name the five greatest tragedies of Shakespeare. 

Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, King .Lear, and Romeo 
and Juliet. 

12. Mention some of his best comedies. 

The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, and The 
M idsurn m e r-Nigh t's D rea m . 

13. Name a few of the most remarkable of his historical 
plays. 

King Richard III., Richard, II., and King Henry 
V. Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, and Corio- 
lanus are tragedies based on Roman history. 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



171 



14. Are the plays of Shakespeare well known to other na- 
tions ? 

They have been translated into every language of 
Europe and into some of the Asiatic tongues. 

15. What is the true secret of Shakespeare's power and uni- 
versal fame! 

His wonderful insight into human nature, the hu- 
man soul, and the philosophy of life; his unrivalled 
power in the creation and delineation of character; 
the boundless reach of his exquisite imagination ; and 
his magic mastery over language. He was poet, dram- 
atist, moralist, and philosopher in one.* 

16. What may be said of him as a word-painter? 

When Shakespeare describes anything, you more 
than see it — you feel it too. 

17. What can you say of his style? 

In the art of writing well Shakespeare arrived at a 
perfection which places him above all other poets. 
His style resembles no other style. But his language 
is most simple and natural. He had the happy gift of 
saying much in few words, and his bright, pithy sen- 
tences often bend under a load of wit or wisdom. 

18. Why is Shakespeare, perhaps, more frequently quoted 
than any other writer? 

Because nearly every one of his pages sparkles with 
gems of thought, where some happy word or phrase 



* He dissects the human mind in all its conditions. He dis- 
plays its workings as it lives and throbs. He divines the secret 
impulses of all ages and characters — childhood, boyhood, man- 
hood, girlhood, and womanhood ; men of peace and men of war ; 
clowns, nobles, and kings. His large heart was sympathetic 
with all, and even most so with the lowly and suffering ; he 
shows us ourselves, and enables us to use that knowledge for our 
profit. All the virtues are held up to our imitation and praise, 
and all the vices are scourged and rendered odious in our sight. 
To read Shakespeare aright is of the nature of honest self-ex- 
amination — that most difficult and most necessary of duties. — 
Coppee. 



12 



172 



LESSORS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



conveys to us a whole train of ideas condensed, so to 
speak, into a single luminous point. Thus it is that 
writers and orators give point and dignity to their 
own periods by quoting Shakespeare.* 

19. What did Shakespeare write besides his thirty-seven 
plays ? 

One hundred and fifty-four sonnets and two narra- 
tive poems of considerable length, namely, Venus and 
Adonis and Tarquin and Liter ece. 

20. Is the English language much indebted to Shakespeare ? 

It is ; it may be said that he moulded the elements 
of English for the first time into one harmonious 
whole, f 



* In reading Shakespeare we feel pleasure in stumbling upon 
such phrases and sayings as "trumpet-tongued ;" "single blessed- 
ness "food for gunpowder ;" "to the manner born ;" "the live- 
long day ; M "as firm as faith ;" "the observed of all observers ;'\ 
"to take arms against a sea of troubles :" "Brevity is the soul 
of wit "Be just, and fear not :" "Dressed in a little brief au- 
thority "Seeking the bubble reputation even in the cannon's 
mouth "The poet's eye in a fine frenzy rolling ;" "Upon his 
brow shame is ashamed to sit ;" "The undiscovered country from 
whose bourne no traveller returns :" "It is a custom more hon- 
oured in the breach than the observance ;" "Beggar that I am. 
I am poor even in thanks :" "The evil that men do lives after 
them :" "I am constant as the northern star ;" "The valiant 
never taste of death but once :" "Cowards die many times be- 
fore their deaths ;" "This was the noblest Roman of them all." 

"Poor Brutus, with himself at war, 
Forgets the shows of love to other men." 

'-But he, that filches from me my good name, 
Robs me of that, which not enriches him, 
And makes me poor indeed." 

"There is a tide in the affairs of men, 
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune ; 
Omitted, all the voyage of their lives 
Is bound in shallows and in miseries." 
It has been said that many of the sayings of Shakespeare drop 
upon the mind "like a splendor out of heaven." 

t There are three men in the annals of poetry who may be 
said to have created, or rather fixed, not merely the literature, 
but also the language, of their several countries. These three 
are Homer, Dante, and Shakespeare, and of the three the last is 
not the least. — Hart. 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



173 



21. What may be considered the chief defects of Shake- 
speare's plays? 

The style has been criticised for occasional obscur- 
ity, flatness, and bombast; some passages are justly 
accused of immodest coarseness;* and the ending of 
some of the plots is hurried and imperfect. 

22. Was Shakespeare a Catholic? 

Nothing absolutely conclusive is known on this 
point, but it can be truly affirmed that in numberless 
passages of his plays he gives abundant proof that he 
held the doctrines and practices of the Catholic 
Church in tender and reverential regard. 



"He was the man who, of all modern and perhaps ancient 
poets, had the largest and most comprehensive soul." — John 
Dryden. 

"I profess myself one of Shakespeare's enthusiastic admirers, 
His language is the purest and best, his verses the most flowing 
and rich ; and as for his sentiments, it would be difficult without 
the command of his own language to characterize them. No 
other writer has ever given such periods of sententious wisdom." 
— Cardinal Wiseman. 

"Shakespeare is. by the common consent of mankind, the 
greatest daramatist. and, in the opinion of a large and growing 
number of critics, the greatest writer, that the world has ever 
produced. His writings created an era in literature, and con- 
stitute of themselves a special and most important study." — Dr. 
J. 8. Hart. 

"The name of Shakespeare is the greatest in our literature. 
It is the greatest in all literature. No man ever came near him 
in the creative powers of the mind ; no man ever had such 
strength, at once, and such variety of imagination." — Henry 
Hallam. 

"A whole world is unfolded in the works of Shakespeare. He 
who has once comprehended this, and been penetrated with its 
spirit, will not easily allow the effect to be diminished by the 
form, or listen to the cavils of those who are incapable of under- 
standing the import of what they would criticise. The form of 
Shakespeare's writings will rather appear to him good and excel- 
lent, because in it his spirit is expressed and clothed, as it were, 
in a convenient garment." — F. Schlegel. 



* Shakespeare is often immodest, but never sensual, as the 
learned Cardinal Newman remarked. We must not forget that 
he lived in an age of great coarseness and corruption. He held 
"the mirror up to nature" — or rather depraved nature— and it is 



174 LESSOXS IX ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



LESSON III. 

BEX JOXSOX. DIED 1637. 
Chief works : Forty-six Plays* 

23. Who was Ben Jonson? 

He was one of the greatest of the English drama- 
tists. Jonson is generally considered as second only 
to Shakespeare. 

24. Give a short account of his early life. 

It was rough and varied. The sturdy young fellow 
was by turns a school-boy, a hod-carrier, and a sol- 
dier shouldering his pike. The frowns of fortune in- 
duced him to become an actor, and at the age of twen- 
ty-three he produced his first comedy. 

25. What is the name of Jonson' s first comedy, and what are 
its merits? 

It is called Every Man in Tlis Humour, and is com- 
monly ranked among the best of his productions. 
Jonson, however, had little real fun, wit, or imagina- 
tion, and the characters in his play pass before us 
more like shadows than live flesh-and-blood person- 
ages. 



not surprising that we see reflected in his bright and sparkling 
pages many a sad truth, over which the pure mind instinctively 
hurries. It remembers frail humanity. It is charitable. It is 
prudent. It looks up to heaven. It passes on without shock or 
fright. In comparison, however, with the other dramatists of his 
time, Shakespeare is remarkably pure. 

* Two of these are tragedies, eleven are comedies, three are 
comical satires, one is a pastoral drama, and twenty-nine are 
masques or other court entertainments. 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



175 



26. Which is the most remarkable character in Every Man 
in his Humour? 

Captain Bobadil, a great coward and bouncing 
braggart.* 

27. To what office was Jonson appointed in 1616 — the year 
that Shakespeare died? 

He was appointed poet-laureate. 

28. Which are his finest comedies? 

Eveni Man in His Humour; Vol pone, or the Fox; 
Epiccene, or the Silent Woman; and The Alchemist. 

29. Name his two tragedies. 

Sejanus and Catiline, which are founded on two 
of the darkest pages in Roman history. 

30. Where was Jonson buried? 

In Westminster Abbey, where the inscription on 
his tombstone — "0 Bare Ben Jonson!" — can be seen 
to this day. 

31. Did Jonson write anything- but plays? 

He wrote some prose, and, in verse, elegies, epi- 
taphs, epigrams, epistles, love poems, and songs. As 
a song writer he has seldom been surpassed. 

32. How may Jonson's chief characteristics as a writer be 
summed up? 

With much learning, little imagination, and a great 
deal of vanity, he was one of the most moral plav- 



* "Bobadil, especially," says Whipple, "is one of Ben's master- 
pieces. He is the most colossal coward and braggart of the 
comic stage. He can never swear by anything less terrible than 
by the body of Gcesar, or by the foot of Pharaoh, when his oath 
is not something more terrific still, namely, by mil valor! Every 
school-boy knows the celebrated passage in which the boasting 
Captain offers to settle the affairs of Europe by associating with 
himself twenty other Bobadils. as 'cunning in the fence' as him- 
self, and challenging an army of 40.000 men. twenty at a time, 
and killing the whole in a certain number of days. Leaving out 
the cowardice, we may say there was something of Bobadil in 
Jonson himself." — Literature of the Age of Elizabeth. 



176 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



writers of his time, and, next to Shakespeare, the most 
original. 

"His pieces are in general deficient in soul, in that nameless 
something which never ceases to attract and enchant us even be- 
cause it is indefinable." — A. W. Schlegel. 

"Jonson possessed all the learning that was wanting to Shake 
speare, and wanted all the genius which the other possessed." — 
Hume. 

"He is 'Saxon* England in epitome— John Bull passing from a 
name into a man — a proud, strong, tough, solid, domineering in 
dividual, whose intellect and personality cannot be severed, even 
in thought, from his body and personal appearance." — Whipple 



LESSOX IV. 

PHILIP MASSINGER. DIED 1640. 
Chief works: Eighteen Plays.* 

33. What is known of Massinger's personal life? 

Almost nothing, but that he was the son of a man 
who held a good position in the service of the Earl of 
Pembroke, that he studied for a year or two at Oxford, 
that he became a play-writer, and finally died in pov- 
erty and obscurity. f 

34. How many of his plays do we possess? 

Eighteen, of which fifteen were his own unaided 
work ; in each of the others he had a collaborator. 



* Six tragedies, eight comedies, and four tragi-comedies 
Massinger wrote, or had a hand in writing, a great number of 
plays ; some of his best work cannot be disentangled from that 
of Fletcher and others. Eight of his plays in manuscript were, 
with forty-seven other valuable manuscript plays, in the posses- 
sion of the Somerset Herald, John Warburton, about the middle 
of the eighteenth century ; but so careless was he in guarding 
them that theiy were all burnt for kitchen uses by his illiterate 
cook. 

t "His death and burial were in harmony with the loneliness 
of his life. We are told that, on the 16th of March, 1640. he 
went to bed seemingly in good health, and was found dead in 
the morning. In the parish register of the Church of St. 
Saviour's, under the date of March 20th, we read : 'Buried, Philip 
Massinger, a stranger.' No stone indicates where in the church- 
yard he was laid."-— Whipple. 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



177 



35. Which is Massinger's most famous comedy? 

A New Way to Pay Old Debts; it kept possession 
of the stage until well on into the nineteenth century 
on account of the finely drawn character of Sir Giles 
Overreach. 

36. What may be considered his chief tragedy? 

The Virgin Martyr, which is partly by Dekker; 
it has telling situations, and was extremely popular in 
its day. The martyr is Dorothea, a Christian maiden 
of the age of Diocletian. 

37. What may be said of Massinger's style? 

His style charms by its ease, clearness, dignity, ele- 
gance, and flexibility.* 



"Massinger is by some critics ranked next after Shakespeare, 
Assuredly his skill in the representation of character is superior 
to that of any of the secondary dramatists except Jonson."— 
Spalding. 

"The English drama never suffered a greater loss than in the 
havoc which time and negligence have committed among the 
works of Massinger ; for of thirty-eight plays attributed to his 
pen, only eighteen have been preserved." — Drake. 

"In expressing the dignity of virtue, and in showing greatness 
of soul rising superior to circumstance and fate, Massinger ex- 
hibits so peculiar a vigour and felicity that it is impossible not 
to conceive such delineations — in which the poet delighted — to 
be a reflection of his own proud and patient soul, and perhaps, 
too, but too true a memorial of 'the rich man's scorn, the 
proud man's contumely,' which he had himself undergone." — 
Shaw. 



* In spite of their occasional coarseness — which is to be re- 
ferred rather to the manners of the time than to the author — ■ 
the plays of Massinger abound in noble passages like the follow- 
ing : 

"When good men pursue 
The path marked out by virtue, the blest saints 
With joy look on it, and seraphic angels 
Clap their celestial wings in heavenly plaudits." 

"As you have 
A soul moulded from heaven, and do desire 
To have it made a star there, make the means 
Of your ascent to that celestial height 
Virtue winged with brave action ; they draw near 
The nature and the essence of the gods 
Who imitate their goodness." 



178 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



LESSON V. 
LORD BACON. DIED 1626. 

Chief works: (1) Essays. 

(2) Advancement of Learning. 

(3) The New Atlantis. 

(4) History of King Henry VII. 

(5) Instauratio Scientiarum (in Latin). 

38. Who was Lord Bacon? 

He was a celebrated English prose-writer, philoso- 
pher, and statesman. 

39. Give a hrief account of his early life? 

Francis Bacon was born in London in the first years 
of the reign of Elizabeth, was educated at Cambridge, 
studied law, and rose rapidly in his profession. 

40. What higrh position did he finally reach under King 
James I. ? 

That of Lord High Chancellor of England. 

41. How did he dishonor his exalted office, and what was the 
result? 

He received bribes and gave false judgments. Be- 
ing impeached and convicted, he was sentenced to pay 
over $200,000, and to be imprisoned in the Tower dur- 
ing the king's pleasure.* 

42. How did the degraded chancellor spend the last years of 
his life? 

Chiefly with his books in the retirement of the 
country. Bacon died of a fever in 1626, and thus 
passed away what Pope styled "the wisest, brightest, 
meanest of mankind. "f 



* King James remitted the fine, and set Bacon free in two days. 

t The story of his death is curious. Driving in his carriage 
one snowy day, the thought struck him that flesh might be pre- 
served as well by snow as by salt. At once he stopped, went into 
a cottage by the road, bought a fowl, and with his own hands 
stuffed it full of snow. Feeling chilly and too unwell to go 
home, he Trent to the house of the Earl of Arundel, which was 
near. There he was put into a damp bed ; fever ensued ; and in 
a few days he was no more. — Collier. 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 179 



43. "Which is Lord Bacon's best-known and most popular work? 

His Essays. 

44. How many Essays are there, and over what kind of sub- 
jects do they range? 

The Essays are fift3 r -eight in number, and, to use 
Bacon's own words, they touch on subjects that "come 
home to men's business and bosoms/'* 

45. What may be said of the value and style of Bacon's 
Essays? 

They contain much that is wise, suggestive, and 
practical. As to style, they combine the greatest brev- 
ity with the greatest beauty of expression.*!* 



* Bacon's Essays were first published in 1507. and were but 
ten in number. He retouched them and added to their number 
at various times. The last edition, issued under his supervision, 
appeared in 1625. ^It contained 58 Essays. It may be interest- 
ing to note briefly some changes in English grammar, spelling, 
and punctuation since the days of Bacon — nearly three centuries 
ago. Our remarks are based on the last edition of his Essays. 

(1) He writes nearly every noun and verb of importance with 
a capital ; as, "It is Heaven upon Earth to have a Mans Minde 
Move in Charitie, Rest in Providence, and Turne upon the Poles 
of Truth." 

(2) He writes connectives immediately following colons and 
semi-colons with capitals : as, "In taking Revenge, a Man is 
but even with his Enemy : But in passing it over, he is superior : 
For it is a Princes part to Pardon." 

(3) It will be noticed in the two examples just given that 
Bacon did not use the apostrophe (') to mark the possessive case. 

(4) The use of a instead of an before words beginning with It 
was not at all uniform in Bacon's time. He writes "an hill," "an 
habit," "an high speech." 

(5) He sometimes makes use of expressions that would not be 
sanctioned by the English grammars of our day ; as, "between 
them two," "sixteene foot." 

(6) From the following samples of Bacon's spelling, the stu- 
dent will notice that many changes, such as dropping the final e, 
have taken place in English orthography since the seventeenth 
century : daye, minde, poore, goe, hee, sinne, selfe, foole, blond 
(blood), limine (limb), shal, troth (truth), alwaies (alwavs), 
ft ft (fifth), sixt (sixth), etc. 

t We give a few sayings from his Essays: 

"God never wrought a miracle to convince atheism, because 
His ordinary works convince it :" "A little philosophy inclines 
man's mind to atheism ; but depth in philosophy brings men's 
minds about to religion ;" "There is nothing makes a man sus- 
pect much, more than to know little :" "Discretion of speech is 
more^ than eloquence:" "Reading makes a full man, conference a 
read> man, and writing an exact man," 



180 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



46. Of what does the Advancement of Learning treat t 

It takes a survey of the whole field of human knowl- 
edge with the object of showing its actual state, and 
of noting omissions and deficiencies. 

47. What is The New Atlantis ? 

It is an unfinished didactic political romance re- 
sembling in some degree Sir Thomas Morels Utopia. 

48. On what work does Bacon's fame as a philosopher chiefly 
rest? 

On his Instauratio Scientiarum, or Restoration of 
the Sciences. It is written in Latin, but is unfinished. 



"Bacon's Essays show him to be the greatest master of Eng- 
lish prose in his day, and to have had a deep insight into human 
nature." — Copyte. 

"He had the sound, distinct, comprehensive knowledge of 
Aristotle, with all the beautiful lights, graces, and embellishments 
of Cicero." — Addison. 

"Bacon is misunderstood by two classes of men. One regards 
him as the creator of a new and previously unknown method, to 
which modem science is indebted for all its triumphs. This is an 
impossibility. He could not change the intellect. He could not 
give man another faculty distinct from those he already posses- 
sed. Intelligence works now exactly as it worked prior to my 
Lord Bacon. The sum and substance of his philosophy is this : 
'Leave scholastic disputations. You have talked enough over 
words. Turn to things. Interpret nature. Experiment. Be 
careful of the biases of your mind. Be not over-hasty in your 
inferences. Look to facts. Wait. Read the lessons of nature 
as it is, and not as you think it ought to be.' This simple piece 
of advice constitutes his title to immortality and our gratitude. 
And though it is a good one, there is nothing in it that had not at 
all times occurred to the careful man in the experiences of bis 
every-day life. Bacon added no real truth to any of the sciences. 
He enforced his view's generally by the crudest facts and by 
childish illustrations. He invented no new method. He only 
called attention to that which men should follow in investigating 
the law T s of nature," — Brother Azarias. 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



181 



LESSON VI. 

JOHN MILTON. DIED 1674. 

Chief works: (1) Paradise Lost. 

(2) Paradise Regained. 

(3) Comus. 

(4) Samson Agonistes. 

(5) Ode on the Nativity. I Poems. 

(6) Lyeidas. 

(7) U Allegro. 

(8) II Penseroso. 

(9) Sonnets. 

(10) Areopagifica. J- Prose 

49. Who was John Milton? 

He was the greatest epic poet of English literature. 

50. Give a brief account of his early life. 

Young Milton was a native of London, and a hand- 
some, studious boy, who grew up under Puritan influ- 
ences.* He completed his studies at the TTniversi! v 
of Cambridge, and, after some years., made a tour 
though Prance and Italy. 

51. What appointment did he receive under the rule of 
Cromwell ? 

That of Latin or Foreign Secretary.! 

52. What became of Milton on the Restoration of Charles II.? 

The Eestoration brought gloom and terror to the 
house of the great Puritan poet. He hid himself for 
a time, and lived in retirement till his death in 16 74. J 

53. What ode did Milton compose in his twenty-first year? 

The magniflent Ode on the Morning of Christ's 
Nativity. It is the earliest of the great English odes, 

* The poet's grandfather was a strict Catholic, but his father 
became a Protestant. 

f Latin was then the language of diplomacy. 

t Milton was totally blind for the last twenty years of his 
life. 



lo^ LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

and ranks among the finest specimens of lyric poetry 
in the language. 

54. What is L' Allegro? 

It is a poem of mirth, in which we see 

"Sport that wrinkled Care derides, 
And Laughter holding both his sides." 

55. What is the nature of II Penseroso? 

It is a poetical tribute to Melancholy, represented 
as a 

"Pensive nun, devout and pure, 
Sober, steadfast, and demure, 
AH in a robe of darkest grain. 
Flowing with majestic train." 

56. Are L' Allegro and II Penseroso popular poems? 

These two gems are perhaps the best known and 
most appreciated of all Milton's works. 

57. What is Comus? 

Comus, though written as a mask* is a noble poem 
in the form of a drama. f It exhibits the power and 
glory of Chastity .| 



* A mask, or masque, which was originally a mere acted pa- 
geant, developed gradually into a complete dramatic performance, 
in which music generally played an important part. Ben Jonson 
and Beaumont and Fletcher, among others, wrote many such 
pieces. Comus was the last and best of the great masques. 

f "Of Milton's early poems," says Henry Reid, "the most 
beautiful is the exquisite Masque of Comus, one of the last and 
loveliest radiations of the dramatic spirit, which seemed almost 
to live its life out in about half a century of English literature, 
beginning in the times of Queen Elizabeth, and ending in those 
of Charles I." — Lectures on English Literature. 

i The following beautiful lines are often quoted : 

"So dear to Heaven is saintly Chastity, 
That, when a soul is found sincerely so, 
A thousand liveried angels lackey her, 
Driving far off each thing of sin and guilt.*' 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 183 

58. What is Lycidas? 

It is a poem on the loss of a friend named King.* 
Critics say that the enjoyment of Lycidas is a good 
test of a veal feeling for what is peculiarly called 
poetry. It contains the oft-quoted line., 

"To scorn delights, and live laborious days." 

59. "What is Milton's Samson Agonistes? 

It is a drama constructed on the model of a Greek 
tragedy. 

60. Was Milton a noted prose- writer? 

He was ; he left behind him several works, on vari- 
ous subjects, written in prose. 

61. Which is usually considered his best work in prose? 

The Areopagitica, an appeal for the freedom of the 
press. 



LESSOR VII. 

MILTON, CONTINUED. 

62. What celebrated epic has given Milton such an exalted 
rank in English literature? 

His Paradise Lost, at which he labored seven years.f 



* Lycidas was written to commemorate the death of a college 
friend, Mr. King, who was drowned on the passage from England 
to Ireland. But Milton's grief sets him thinking ; and, in this re- 
markable poem, the monotone of a deep sorrow is replaced by the 
linked musings of a mind which, once set in motion by grief, 
pours forth abundantly the treasures of thought and imagination 
stored up within it. — T. Arnold. 

f From 1658 to 1665. It had to wait two years for a publisher. 
"Milton's great poem," says Hart, "after its completion had to 
wait two years before it could find a publisher, and even then its 
way to fame was very slow. The whole amount received by him 
and his family from the copyright of it was only £28." 



184 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



63. ^low is this great poem divided? 

It is divided into twelve books.* 

64. Of what does the first book treat? 

Book first treats briefly of the fall of man and the 
loss of paradise; the evil power that had led man to 
disobey the Almighty; and the revolt and overthrow 
of Satan and his rebel angels.f 

65. What does Milton tell in the second book? 

He describes the great consultation between Satan 
an/i the fallen angels, and the resultant expedition un- 
dertaken by the arch-fiend to find the location of the 
newly-created earthy the abode of man. 

66. What do the third and fourth books describe? 

They describe the steps by which Satan proceeded 
on his mission to tempt our first parents. 

67. In which book are Adam and Eve first introduced? 

In the fourth book. 

68. What takes up a great part of the fifth, sixth, and seventh 
books? 

The story of the war in heaven between the good 
and the bad angels, the overthrow and expulsion of 



* There can scarcely be any doubt that, in the plan and de- 
tails of this great epic, Milton received much aid from the poems 
that went under the name of Caedmon. They were first 
printed in 1655, just three years before Milton began the com- 
position of Paradise Lost. "Milton's Satan/' says Taine, "al- 
ready existed in Csedmon's as the picture exists in the sketch." 

t It is in the first book that Milton describes hell, which he 
makes a place curiously vast and vague : 

"A dungeon horrible, on all sides round 
As one great furnace flamed ; yet from those flames 
No light, but rather darkness visible 
Served only to discover sights of woe. 
Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace 
And rest can never dwell, hope never comes 
That comes to aU ; but torture without end 
Still urges, and a fiery Deluge, fed 
With ever-burning sulphur nnconsumed. 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



185 



the wicked spirits, and the creation of the earth and of 
Adam and Eve. All this is related to Adam by the 
archangel Eaphael. 

69. What does the eighth book contain? 

It contains an account of a discussion between 
Adam and Raphael, and tells of the creation of Eve 
and of the nuptials between her and Adam, 

70. What does the ninth book relate ? 

It contains an account of the transgression of our 
first parents by eating the forbidden fruit. 

"Earth felt the wound, and Nature from her seat 
Sighing through all her works gave signs of woe 
That all was lost." 

71. What is the subject of the tenth book? 

It describes the coming of Sin and Death to earth, 
and the repentance of Adam and Eve. 

72. What do we find in the eleventh and twelfth books? 

The last two books are chiefly taken up with the 
recital of the future fortunes of the human race, re- 
lated to Adam by Michael the archangel. 

73. How does the poem end? 

With the expulsion of our first parents from para- 
dise. 

"Some natural tears they dropt, but wiped them soon ; 
The world was all before them, where to choose 
Their place of rest, and Providence their guide : 
They, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow 
Through Eden took their solitary way."* 

74. Considered from a religious standpoint, what may be 
said of Paradise Lost? 

Its character, in a religious point of view, is very 
questionable, for two reasons : ( 1 ) The false picture of 



y* To be understood, Milton's Paradise Lost must be read. No 
brief explanation can assist the student much in comprehending 
the great poem. 



186 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



Satan presented to us by Milton. Satan seems to be 
the hero of the poem, and he certainly does not pass 
before us as the vile ruler of hell and hateful spirit 
of wickedness.* (2) Milton lacked due reverence in 
handling the sacred mysteries of religion, and espe- 
cially the Divine Nature. f 

75. What may be said of the unity of the poem, and the 
manner in which it is worked out? 

Paradise Lost forms one connected whole, and it is 
worked out with great care and vigor. 

76. Is the language of Paradise Lost worthy of high praise? 

It is often rough, harsh, and sometimes ungram- 
matical, but in many passages it rolls along with un- 
surpassed splendor and sublimity. 



* Milton thus describes Satan, when marshalling the hosts of 

ne l* • 'Tie. above the rest 

In shape and gesture proudly eminent. 
Stood like a tower ; his form had yet not lost 
All its original brightness, nor appeared 
Less than archangel ruined, and the excess 
Of glory obscured : As when the sun new risen 
Looks through the horizontal misty air, 
Shorn of his beams ; or from behind the moon, 
In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds 
On half the nations, and with fear of change 
Perplexes monarchs. Darkened so, yet shone 
Above them all the archangel." 

This may be sublime, but it is a sublimity that owes little to 
truth. "The finest thing," writes Taine. "in connection with this 
paradise is hell : and in this history of God. the chief part is 
taken by the devil. The ridiculous devil of the Middle Ages, a 
dirty .jester, a petty and mischievous ape. band-leader to a rabble 
of old women, has become a giant and a hero. Like a con- 
quered and vanished Cromwell, he remains admired and obeyed 
by those whom he has drawn into the abyss." 

f "The dialogues in heaven," says Thomas Arnold, "to say 
nothing of the undisguised Arianism which disfigures them, are 
either painful or simply absurd, according as one regards them 
seriously or not." 

"Milton," says Chateaubriand, "never speaks of the Trinity. 
The Son, according to him, is not begotten from eternity. The 
poet even places His creation after that of the angels. Milton 
is Arian, if he is anything." 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



187 



77. Aside from all its imperfections, what must be said of the 
merits of the poem? 

It is the greatest epic in English literature, and one 

of the great epics of all time. 

7&. What did Milton write at the suggestion of a friend who 
remarked that, as he had written of Paradise Lost, what had he 
to say of Paradise Found? 

He wrote Paradise Regained, an epic poem in four 
books. Though much inferior to Paradise Lost, it is 
superior to any epic that has since made its appear- 
ance. 

79. What rank does Milton hold as a writer of Sonnets? 

The very highest ; in thought, diction, and tech- 
nique his sonnets are unsurpassed. Speaking of the 
sonnet, Wordsworth says that in Milton's hand — 

"The thing became a trumpet, whence he blew 
^oul-animating strains — alas, too few !" 



"Milton is as great a writer in prose as in verse. Prose con* 
ferred celebrity on him during his life, poetry after his death ; 
but the renown of the prose-writer is lost in the glory of the 
poet." — Chateaubriand. 

"Three poets, in three distant ages born, 
Greece, Italy, and England did adorn : 
The first* in loftiness of thought surpassed ; 
The nextf in majesty ; in both the last.t 
The force of nature could no farther go — 
To make a third she joined the former two." 

Dryden. 

"Paradise Lost partakes in all those difficulties and defects 
which, as I have already said, attend all Christian poems which 
attempt to make the mysteries of religion the subject of their 
fiction. It is strange that Milton did not observe that the loss of 
paradise forms in itself no complete whole, but is only the first 
act of the great Christian history of man, wherein the Creation, 
the Fall, and the Redemption are all equally necessary parts of 
one mighty drama. It is true that he sought afterwards to re- 
move this main defect by the addition of the Paradise Regained ; 
but this poem is too insignificant in its purpose and size to be 
worthy of forming the keystone to the great work. When com- 
pared with the Catholic poets, Dante and Tasso, who were his 
models, Milton, as a Protestant, labored under considerable dis- 
advantages by being entirely denied the use of a great many 



* Homer. f Dante. % Milton. 

13 



188 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



symbolical representations, histories, and traditions, which were 
in their hands the most graceful ornaments of Christian poetry. 
He was sensible of this, and attempted to make amends for the 
defect by adopting fables and allegories out of the Koran and the 
Talmud, such as are extremely unfit for the use of a serious 
Christian poet. The excellence of his epic work consists, there- 
fore, not in the plan of the whole, so much as in particular 
beauties and passages, and, in general, in the perfection of the 
high language of poetry." — F. Schlegeh 



LESSON VIII. 

SAMUEL BUTLER. DIED 1680. 
Chief work : Hudibras. 

80. Who was Samuel Butler? 

He was a humorous writer of great celebrity. 

81. What do you know of his early life? 

He was the son of a farmer in Worcestershire, Eng- 
land ; received his education at a grammar-school ; and 
was knocked about from one employment to another, 
so that by his very misfortunes he acquired that rare 
and varied knowledge of human life which is so ad- 
mirably displayed in his Hudibras, 

82. When was Hudibras published? 

In 1663, when Butler was over fifty years of age.* 

83. What was the object of Hudibras? 

The object of this poem was to ridicule the Puri- 
tans. 

84. Who are the chief characters in the poem? 

Hudibras^ a fanatical Presbyterian justice of the 
peace, from whom the poem takes its name, and his 
squire, Ralph, a cross-grained, dogmatic fellow. 

* Hudibras was published in three parts — the first in 1663, the 
second in 1664. and the third in 1678. 

t The title of the poem, which is also the name of its hero, is 
taken from the old romances of chivalry, Sir Hugh de Bras being 
the appellation of one of the knights — an Englishman, too, ac- 
cording to the legend — of Arthur's fabulous Round Table. — Shaw. 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



189 



85. Give some idea of the plot of Hudibras. 

Hudibras and his man Kaiph sally forth to correct 
abuses, and especially to enforce the observance of the 
oppressive laws lately made by the Kump Parliament 
against the sports and amusements of the people. 
Their ridiculous appearance and adventures are given 
in detail. The plot, however, is rambling and discon- 
nected, but Butler contrives to go over the whole 
ground of English history in his matchless burlesque.* 

86. Mention the divisions, metre, and length of Hudibras. 

The poem is divided into three parts, each contain- 
ing three cantos. It is written in eight-syllable rhym- 
ing couplets, and contains about 11,000 lines. f 

87. What are the merits of Hudibras as a burlesque poem? 

It is considered the best burlesque poem in the Eng- 
lish language, but in our day few persons have the pa- 
tience to read it through. 

88. What was the end of the unhappy Butler? 

After living in poverty and obscurity, he died in a 
wretched lodging in London. He was even indebted 



* Butler thus describes the learning of Hudibras : 
"He was in logic a great critic, 

Profoundly skilled in analytic ; 

He could distinguish and divide 

A hair 'twixt south and southwest side ; 

On either which he would dispute, 

Confute, change hands, and still confute ; 

He'd undertake to prove by force 

Of argument a man's no horse ; 

He'd prove a buzzard is no fowl, 

And that a lord may be an owl — 

A calf, an alderman — a goose, a justice — 

And rooks, committeemen and trustees. 

He'd run in debt by disputation, 

And pay with ratiocination ; 

And this by syllogism, true 

In mood and figure, he would do." 
t Hudibras was doubtless suggested by the famous Spanish 
novel, Don Quixote* 



190 



LESSOXS IX ENGLISH 



LITERATURE. 



to the charity of a friend for a grave in the church 
yard, but some time after his death a monument w 
erected in his honor.* 



"Hudibras is the very prince of burlesques ; it stands alone of 
its kind, and still retains its popularity." — Coppee. 

"The political importance of the poem was great. It turned 
the laugh against those terrible Puritans, a handful of whom 
had so long held the nation down, and defeated more effectually 
than cannon-balls or arguments could have done 'the stubborn 
crew of errant saints' — 

'Such as do build their faith upon 
The holy text of pike and gun ; 
Decide all controversies by 
Infallible artillery ; 
And prove their doctrine orthodox 
By apostolic blows and knocks.' " 

T. Arnold. 



LESSON IX. 

EDWARD HYDE, EARL OF CLARENDON. DIED 1674. 
Chief work : History of the Great Rebellion. 

IZAAK WALTON. DIED 1683. 
Chief work : The Compleat Angler. 



89. Who was Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon? 

He was an eminent English writer and statesman of 
the time of Charles I. and Charles II. 

90. After many ups and downs in life, what position did he 
finally reach? 

That of Lord High Chancellor of England, and for 



* It is said that this sadly slow recognition of Butler's merit 
and genius gave origin to one of the keenest epigrams in the 
English language : 

"Whilst Butler, needy wretch, was yet alive, 
No generous patron would a dinner give : 
See him, when starved to death and turned to dust, 
Presented with a monumental bust. 
The poet's fate is here in emblem shown — 
He asked for breads and he received a stone." 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



191 



seven years he was the ruling spirit of English poli- 
tics.* 

91. What was his end? 

The nation grew to hate him, he lost the royal fa- 
vor, fled from England, and died in exile. 

92. What is Clarendon's chief literary production? 

The History of the Great Rebellion, that is, of the 
civil war connected with the expulsion and restoration 
of the Stuarts.f 

93. What is the sadly suggestive story of this famous book? 
Clarendon began it in exile as the faithful servant 

of a dethroned prince; and, many years after, he 
ended it in exile as the cast-off servant of an ungrate- 
ful monarch. J 

94. What may be said of the style of this work? 

The style is prolix and redundant, but at the same 
time is stately and impressive. 

95. What is the chief merit of the History of the Great 
Rebellion? 

It is an invaluable key to the knowledge of English 
life during the Rebellion, and just after the Restora- 
tion^ 

* Forming the door-posts of a stable-yard, there stand, or stood 
a short time since, two -old defaced Corinthian pillars, chipped, 
weather-stained, drab-painted, and bearing upon their faded acan- 
thus crowns the sign-board of the livery stables. Ostlers lounge 
and smoke there ; passers-by give no heed to the poor relics of a 
dead grandeur ; and the brown London mud bespatters them piti- 
lessly from capital to base, as rattling wheels jolt past over the 
uneven pavement. These pillars are all that remain of a splen- 
did palace, which was reared upon that site by the famous Ed- 
ward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon and Lord High Chancellor of Eng- 
land. — Collier. 

t It is a large work usually printed in 6 or 7 vols. 8vo. 

t Clarendon was the companion of Charles II. in exile, and be- 
gan his famous History in 1646 ; when Charles returned to Eng- 
land and mounted the English throne, he made him his Prime 
Minister, and the book remained unfinished till the author's 
second and last exile. 

§ "A checkered reputation on the page of history, and two old 
pillars in Piccadilly," says Collier, "might have been all that re- 
mained of the great lawyer's life-work, had not his brilliant pen 
raised a monument of eloquence, imperishable while the English 
language lives." 



192 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



96. In what does Clarendon especially excel! 

As a great painter of character. His book abounds 
in minute and complete descriptions of public men. 

97. What are the shortcomings of this history? 

It is neither impartial nor entirely trustworthy. 
Clarendon was a warm royalist and a bitter Protest- 
ant, and both his political opponents and the much- 
persecuted Catholics got small justice at his hands. 

98. Who was Izaak Walton? 

He was an English linen-draper who, after retiring 
from business, wielded both pen and fishing-rod for 
many a year with equal love and skill. 

99. Which is his best known and most popular work? 

The Compleai (that is, Complete) Angler, a pleas- 
ant book that still finds many readers. 



LESSOX X. 

JOHN DRYDEX. DIED 1700. 

Chief works: (1) Thirty Plays. 

(2) Annus MiraMlis. 

(3) Absalom and Achitophel. 

(4) The Medal. 

(5) Mac Flecknoe. 

(6) Religio Laici. 

(7) The Hind and the Panther. 

(8) Alexander's Feast. 

(9) Translation of Virgil. 

(10) Fables. 

(11) Essay of Dramatic Poesy. 

100. Who was John Dryden? 

He was the most prominent figure in the literary 
history of the latter part of the seventeenth century. 

101, Give a short account of his early life. 

He belonged to an ancient English family, grew up 
to manhood under Puritan influences* completed his 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



193 



education at the University of Cambridge, taking the 
degree of B. A., and did not write anything remark- 
able till after the age of thirty. 

102. What branch of literature did Dryden first cultivate as 
a means of livelihood? 

The drama. 

103. How many plays did he write, and what can you say of 
them? 

Dryden produced thirty plays.* They contain some 
excellent passages, but many of them are stained with 
immorality. 

104. What offices did Dryden hold? 

In 1670 he was appointed poet-laureate and his- 
toriographer-royal, and in 1683 he was made collector 
of the customs in the port of London ; but he lost all 
those offices at the Eevolution of 1688-1689 because he 
had become a Catholic in 1686, and as such was un- 
able to take the oaths of allegiance, supremacy, and 
abjuration which had to be taken by all holders of 
office under William and Mary. 

105. What famous poem did he write in 1687, after becoming 
a Catholic? 

The Hind and the Panther. 

106. Is the Hind and the Panther a long poem, and what is 
its nature? 

The Hind and the Panther is in three parts, making 
in all 2,592 lines, It is a controversial poem, in which 
two animals — the Hind and the Panther — are repre- 
sented as engaged in a lengthy argument concerning 
the churches which they symbolize. The Catholic 



* Thirteen of these were tragedies, two tragi-comedies, eleven 
comedies, three operas, and one a masque. Of Dryden 's tragedies, 
Don Sebastian : ATI for Love, or the World Well Lost; and The 
Conquest of Granada are the finest, 



194 LESSOXS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

Church is represented by a "milk-white Hind/'* and 
the Anglican Church by a "spotted Panther."f 

107. What is your opinion of the merits of this singular 
poem? 

The Hind and the Panther is a remarkable union 
of wit, logic, and poetry. It is the greatest controver- 
sial poem in English, or perhaps in any language. 
Hallam says "it is the energy of Bossuet in verse/' 

108. What can you say of the last years of Dryden's life? 

They were his purest, brightest, and happiest years. 
He was a good, faithful CatholicJ His mind grew to 
the last ; and the vigor of his intellect enabled him to 
make head against the spite of fortune. 



* "A milk-white Hind, immortal and unchanged, 
Fed on the lawns, and in the forest ranged ; 
Without unspotted, innocent within, 
She feared no danger, for she knew no sin." 

t "The Panther, sure the noblest, next the Hind, 
And fairest creature of the spotted kind ; 
Oh, could her inborn stains be washed away, 
She were too good to be a beast of prey !" 
The various dissenting sects play their parts as hares, boars, 
bears, wolves, and other animals. The Presbyterians or Calvi- 
nists are wolves : 

"More haughty than the rest, the wolfish race 
Appears, with belly gaunt and famished face — 
Never was so deformed a beast of grace. 
His ragged tail betwixt his legs he wears, 
Close-clapped for shame, but his rough crest he rears 
And pricks up his predestinating ears V* 

% He educated his three sons in the true faith. The eldest, 
Charles, who was for sometime Chamberlain to Pope Clement XI., 
was drowned in 1704 ; the second. John, had also an office in the 
Pope's household : he died in 1701 ; the third, Erasmus Henry, 
succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of his cousin, Sir John 
Dryden, in May, 1710, but died himself in December of the 
same year. Writing to two of his sons in 1697. Dryden says : "I 
do not flatter myself with any manner of hopes, but to do my duty 
and suffer for God's sake, being assured beforehand never to be 
rewarded, even though the times should alter. * * * Remember 
me to poor Harry, whose prayers I earnestly desire. * * * I 
never can repent of my constancy, since I am thoroughly per- 
suaded of the justice of the cause for which I suffer." 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



195 



109. When did he die? 
In the year 1700. 

110. What is Absalom and Achitophel? 

It is the most perfect and powerful satirical poem 
in the English language.* 

111. What is the Essay of Dramatic Poetry? 

It is the work by which Dryden is chiefly known 
as a prose-writer, and is one of the earliest attempts in 
the English language to systematize the laws of dra- 
matic poetry. 

112. What can you say of Alexander's Feast; or, The Power of 
Music, a Song in Honour of St. Cecilia's Day? 

This famous Ode is a tribute of Dryden's devotion 
to the beautiful St. Cecilia, patroness of music, and 
is one of the very finest lyrics in the English language. 
It is, indeed, a masterpiece of art and rapture. 



* "The occasion of the satire," says Arnold, "was furnished by 
a plot, matured by the busy brain of Shaftesbury, for placing on 
the throne at the king's death his natural son, the Duke of Mon- 
mouth, to the exclusion of his brother, the Duke of York. The 
story of Absalom's rebellion supplied a parallel, singularly close 
in some respects, of which Dryden availed himself to the utmost. 
Absalom is the Duke of Monmouth ; Achitophel, his crafty ad- 
viser, is the Earl of Shaftesbury ; David stands for Charles II. ; 
Zimri for the Duke of Buckingham, etc." 

Shaftesbury is thus described : 

"Of these the false Achitophel was first, 
A name to all succeeding ages curst : 
For close designs and crooked counsels fit, 
Sagacious, bold, and turbulent of wit, 
Restless, unfixed in principles and place, 
In power unpleased, impatient of disgrace ; 
A fiery soul which, working out its way, 
Fretted the pigmy body to decay, 
And o'erinformed the tenement of clay." 

Buckingham (Zimri) is thus described : 

"A man so various that he seemed to be 
Not one, but all mankind's epitome : 
Stiff in opinions, always in the wrong, 
Was everything by starts and nothing long ; 
But, in the course of one revolving moon, 
Was chemist, fiddler, statesman, and buffoon." 



196 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



113. Which is the best known of Dryden's translations? 

The Aeneid of Virgil, which is rendered into Eng- 
lish verse.* ____ 



"The matchless prose of Dryden is rich, various, natural, ani- 
mated, pointed, lending itself to the logical as well as the nar- 
rative and picturesque — never balking, never cloying, never 
wearying. Nothing can surpass Dryden." — Brougham. 

"Without either creative imagination or any power of pathos, 
he is in argument, in satire, and in declamatory magnificence the 
greatest of our poets. His poetry, indeed, is not the highest 
kind of poetry, but in that kind he stands unrivalled and unap- 
proached." — Craik. 

"If I could be guilty of the absurdity of recommending to a 
young man any author on whom to form his style, I should tell 
him that, next to having something that will not stay unsaid, he 
could not find any safer guide than Dryden." — Lowell. 



Summary of Chapter IV., Book II. 

1. Five monarchs — James I., diaries I., Charles 
II., James II., and William III. — reigned during the 
seventeenth century. It was an age of changes and 
political revolutions. 

2. Charles I. was beheaded, and the Common- 
wealth established, with Cromwell as Lord Protector. 

3. Puritanism ruled during the Commonwealth. 

4. Monarchy and the Stuart line were restored in 
1660. This is called the Restoration. 

5. James II. was forced to fly from his kingdom, 
1688, and William Prince of Orange, a foreigner, was 
placed on the throne, 1689. 



* We string together a few of the many pithy sayings that 
dropped from Dryden's pen : 

1 "The greatest argument for love is love." 

2 "Few know the value of life before it is past." 

3 "Forgiveness to the injured does belong, 

But they ne'er pardon who have done the wrong." 

4 "Men are but children of a larger growth." 

5 "That bad thing, gold, buys all good things." 

6 "The cause of love can never be assigned ; 

'Tis in no face, but in the lover's mind." 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



6. The Penal Laws were enforced, and the Catho- 
lics cruelly persecuted. 

7. The seventeenth century was the golden age of 
English literature. 

8. Bird's-eye view of the chief British writers and 
works of the seventeenth century: 

POETS AND DRAMATISTS. 

William Shakespeare,* Hamlet. 

Ben Jonson, Every Man in His Humour. 

Philip Massinger, A New Way to Pay Old Debts. 

John Milton. f Paradise Lost. 

Samuel Butler, Hudibras. 

John Dryden, Absalom and Achitophel. 

PROSE- WRITERS. 

Lord Bacon, Essays.i 

Lord Clarendon, History of the Great Rebellion. 
Izaak Walton, The Compleat Angler. 



In the Short Dictionary at the end of this book 
reference is made to the following seventeenth century 
writers : 

John Barclay; Eichard Baxter ; Francis Beaumont; 
Sir Thomas Browne; William Browne; John Bun- 
yan; Eobert Burton; William Chamberlayne ; George 
Chapman; Jeremy Collier; William Congreve; Abra- 
ham Cowley ; Eichard Crashaw ; Balph Cudworth ; Sir 
William D'Avenant ; Sir John Denham ; John Donne ; 
William Drummond; John Earle; Sir George Ether- 
ege; John Evelyn; Sir Eobert Filmer ; Giles Fletcher; 
John Fletcher; Phineas Fletcher ; John Ford; Thomas 
Fuller; William Habington; James Harrington; 



* It is stated that Shakespeare uses about 15,000 words, or, 
perhaps, one-third of the whole English vocabulary of the seven- 
teenth century. 

t Milton employs about 8,000 words. 

I The Essays may be considered Bacon's chief contribution to 
English literature, though not his chief contribution to science 
and philosophy. 



198 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

George Herbert; Eobert Hemek; Thomas Hey wood; 
• Thomas Hobbes; James Howell; Nathaniel Lee; 
^John Locke; Eichard Lovelace; Andrew Marvell; 
Thomas Middleton; Henry More; Thomas Otway; 
Sir Thomas Overbury; Samuel Pepys; William 
Prynne; Francis Quarles; Sir Walter Ealeigh; James 
Shirley; Thomas Southerne; Jeremy Taylor; Sir Wil- 
liam Temple ; Cyril Tourneur ; Henry Vaughan ; Ed- 
mund Waller; John Webster; John Wilkins; George 
Wither ; William Wycherley. 



CHAPTEE V. 

THE BRITISH LITERATURE OF THE EIGHTEENTH CEN- 
TURY. 

A. D. 1700 TO 1800. 
The Age of Pope, Addison, and Johnson. 



historical introduction. 

1. Great Britain in the Eighteenth Century. 
— For England the eighteenth century was a period 
of comparative repose and internal stability, though 
she engaged in fierce conflicts both in Europe and 
America. Four sovereigns reigned — Anne, George I., 
George II., and George III. 

Queen Anne, the undutiful daughter of James IL, 
succeeded to the throne on the death of William III. 
in 1702. The famous fortress of Gibraltar was cap- 
tured,* and the victories of Marlborough over the 
French increased the glory and prestige of England. 



* By an English fleet under Rooke and Shovel, in 1704. 



EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 



199 



But the greatest event of this reign was the union of 
England and Scotland. This measure was carried by 
threats and bribery in 1707, and the two countries 
were united under the title of Great Britain. 

Queen Anne died 1714, and George, the first Brit- 
ish sovereign of the House of Brunswick, a dull man, 
destitute of wit or wisdom, grasped the reins of gov- 
ernment. His reign was far from brilliant. It was 
chiefly marked by an unsuccessful insurrection in 
Scotland in favor of the son of James II., and the 
wild commercial delusion known as the South Sea 
Bubble. George I. "was an unamiable man who 
could hardly speak the language of the people he 
ruled, who quarreled with his wife and his son, was 
of gross tastes, and naturally preferred his fatherland 
to the home of his adoption." 

He was succeeded in 1727 by his son George II., 
whose reign was made notable by several military en- 
terprises that have passed into general history. In 
the contest known as the war of the Austrian Succes- 
sion, England took the side of Maria Teresa. The 
French were defeated at Dettingen, 1743; but, soon 
after, the English were severely punished at Eonte- 
noy, 1745. This last victory was gained by the bril- 
liant charge of the Irish Brigade. 

" 'Push on, my Household Cavalry !' King Louis madly cried ; 
To death they rush, but rude their shock — not unavenged they 
died. 

On through the camp the column* trod ; King Louis turns his 
rein. 

'Not vet, my liege.* Saxef interposed ; 'the Irish troops remain. 9 

And Fontenoy, famed Fontenoy. had been a Waterloo, 

Were not these exiles ready then, fresh, vehement, and true." 

Prince Charles Edward, the grandson of James II., 
made a last effort to regain the throne of his ances- 
tors. Landing in Scotland, he placed himself at the 



* A column of 0000 English veterans. 

I Marshal Saxe, the commander-in-chief of the French forces. 



200 LESSONS m ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

head of an army, and gained the battle of Preston- 
pans. But brief were his successes. The famous bat- 
tle of Culloden was fought in 1746, and Charles was 
signally defeated by the royal forces under the Duke, 
of Cumberland. This gave the final blow to his 
hopes, and, after many adventures,* he escaped to 
France. 

It was not until 1752 that the Calendar, as correct- 
ed by Pope Gregory XIII. in 1582, was adopted by 
an act of the British Parliament. 

In 1756 a new conflict broke out between France 
and England. It is known as the Seven Years' War. 
It arose in consequence of disputes which took place 
on the subject of the boundary line of their North 
American colonies. For several years the genius of 
Montcalm brought disaster to the British arms; but 
the victory gained by Wolfe on the Plains of Abra- 
ham, at Quebec, in 1759, added Canada to the posses- 
sions of England.f 

George III., the first English-born sovereign of the 
House of Brunswick, came to the throne in 1760. 
Nine years later began to appear the famous Letters 
of Junius.% A course of unjust and oppressive meas- 

* £30.000 was offered for his capture. 

t Canada was ceded to England by the treaty of Paris. 1763. 

% These Letters appeared in the Public Advertiser of London. 
The first is dated January 21. 1769. and the last January 21, 
1772. They number 70, the majority of them being signed "Juni- 
us." The letters are addressed to various personages, high and 
low ; but it is especially the Duke of Grafton and his colleagues 
that Junius attacks with cutting satire and merciless severity. 
The Duke was Premier of England, and to him eleven of the let- 
ters are addressed. The thirty-fifth letter was addressed to the 
king. It concludes with these bold words : "The prince who imi- 
tates their [the Stuarts'] conduct should be warned by their ex- 
ample ; and, while he plumes himself upon the security of his 
title to the crown, should remember that as it was acquired by 
one revolution it may be lost by another." 

The Letters of Junius hold the rank of a classic in English 
literature. But who was Junius? It is now commonly agreed 
that Junius was Sir Philip Francis. Still, these letters have 
been attributed to forty different persons, and over one hundred 
books have been written on the subject of their authorship. 



EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 



201 



ures towards the British possessions in North America 
aroused the hardy colonists, They were driven into 
rebellion. On the 4th of July, 1776, the "Declaration 
of Independence" was announced to the world. Two 
years later Prance acknowledged the independence of 
the United States, and became the ally of the Ameri- 
cans; and the obstinate king, George III., was com- 
pelled to acknowledge American independence in 
1783. The last events worthy of note in this century 
were the French Revolution and the Irish Rebellion* 

2. Eemarks on the Literature of the Eigh- 
teenth Century. — The seventeenth century was a 
great creative period in English letters, but the eigh- 
teenth brings us to an age with less creation and more 
criticism. This was to be expected. "Criticism," as 
Bascom well remarks, "follows invention, completes it, 
and makes its gains permanent in rules and prin- 
ciples." 

The chief names in the British literature of this 
century were: Pope, its greatest poet, Addison, Ar- 
buthnot, Defoe, Eichardson, Fielding, Smol- 
lett, Butler, Challoner, Hume, Eobertson, Gib- 
bon, J ohnson, Burns, and Cowper. 

3. The Origin of Newspapers. — As it was Cath- 
olics who invented printing and raised it to an art, 
so it was Catholics who originated the first modern 
newspaper. This was the Gazette of Venice, issued 
in 1563, during the war with the Turks. It received 
its name from a small coin called gazetta — the price 



* It may be noted that it was in the reign of George III. that 
the first step was taken towards mitigating some of the odious 
Penal Laws against Catholics. This movement proceeded from 
motives of fear rather than justice. But it fanned the slumber- 
ing fires of fury and fanaticism. Protestant riots occurred in 
Edinburgh. A London mob destroyed Catholic churches and resi- 
dences, and it took the strong arm of the militia to put down the 
savage rioters. 



202 LESSONS IX ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

charged for the privilege of reading it. The Weekly 
News* was established in 1622, during the Thirty 
Years' War. This may be considered the first regular 
English newspaper. It contained only foreign news. 
The fierce struggle between Charles I. and his Parlia- 
ment called out a host of small sheets. Each party 
had several organs, and a furious paper war kept pace 
with the stern conflict and the crash of arms. De- 
foe's Review began in 1704, and was, strictly speak- 
ing, the first English serial; but English periodical 
literature may be said to date from Steele's Tatler, 
which began in 1709. This was succeeded, at varying 
intervals, by the Spectator, the Guardian, the Ram- 
bler, and the Idler. The Gentleman s Magazine 
dates from 1731. The Public Advertiser gave the 
Letters of Junius to the world between 1769 and 1772. 
The London Morning Post was started in 1772, and 
the London Times in 1788. These periodicals took 
the place of the drama in literary influence. 

4. Prose Pushes Ahead. The Novel and the 
History. — Poetry and prose were each well repre- 
sented in the early part of this century. But after the 
death of Pope a change came. Poetry waned. Prose 
pushed ahead, rapidly developed, and took possession 
of new fields. "Everything has its day/' wrote Dr. 
Johnson. "Through the reigns of William and Anne 
no prosperous event passed undignified by poetry. 
In the last war.f when France was disgraced and 
overpowered in every quarter of the globe, when 
Spain, coming to her assistance, only shared her ca- 
lamities, and the name of an Englishman was rever- 



* Although the word neics is significant enough, many persons 
considered it as made up of the initial letters representing the 
cardinal points of the compass, N. E. W. S., from which the 
curious people looked for satisfying intelligence. — Coppee. 

t The Seven Years' War. 1756 to 1763. 



EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 



203 



enced through Europe, no poet was heard amidst the 
general acclamation ; the fame of our councillors and 
heroes was intrusted to the gazetteer." 

Internal peace and security prolonged through 
many years, while adding enormously to the national 
wealth, occasioned the rise of that large class of read- 
ers to whom so much of modern literature is ad- 
dressed — persons who have leisure to read and money 
to buy books, but who demand from literature amuse- 
ment rather than instruction, and care less for being 
excited to think than for being made to enjoy. This 
new demand was to have a supply. It arose in the 
form of the modern novel. Defoe led the way. Rich- 
ardson, Fielding, and Smollett worked on at the mine 
which Defoe had opened. "The novel," says Bascom, 
"is the last stage of prose in its progress towards 
poetry." 

Some of the best known historical productions in 
English literature date from this period. A new group 
of historians appeared in Hume, Robertson, and Gib- 
bon, who carried that highest branch of prose compo- 
sition to much perfection. 

A good portion of the last half of the eighteenth 
century acknowledged the rule of Johnson. It was 
the reign of King Samuel. There is nothing quite 
like it in English literature. Great minds had come 
and gone, but none of them had held such absolute au- 
thority — such quiet, undisputed supremacy. This 
was due to the fact that the period was one of criti- 
cism. It prepared the way for immediate and per- 
sonal control on the part of any one pre-eminent in 
this art; and Johnson's ability and dogmatic charac- 
ter soon raised him to the rank of a great literary 
dictator, 

X4 



204 LESSONS IX ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

Johnson passed away, and the last fifteen years 
this period gave us two poets who struck out a fresh 
pathway in the domain of poetry and were the pio- 
neers of a new school. The gentle mind of Cowper 
broke loose from the trammels of an over-refined art, 
and his productions gave a healthy impulse to deep 
genuine poetry. The genius of Burns shed a dazzling 
glow over the literature of Scotland, where no truly 
original poet had appeared since the days of Dunbar. 

It is in the eighteenth century that we find the 
beginnings of the Romantic movement. This was a 
revolt against the didacticism and the satire, the con- 
ventional ideas and the inflated poetic diction of the 
followers of Pope. We can dimly trace its source to 
Thomson's Winter, published in 1726. From about 
1760 onwards it gained in force and volume, and 
reached its culmination in the early decades of the 
nineteenth century. 

On the whole, the writers of the eighteenth century 
have been overestimated. Its literature, though occu- 
pying a large space to our eyes at the present day, 
from the proximity of time and the want of other 
thinkers to take up the ground more satisfactorily, 
is for the most part essentially of the fugitive sort. 
In future ages it will probably be considered as not 
having treated with true depth and appreciation one 
single subject which it has handled* 



* T. Arnold. 



EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 



205 



LESSON" I. 

ALEXANDER POPE. DIED 1744. 

Chief works: (1) Essay on Criticism. 

(2) Rape of the Lock. 

(3) Essay on Man. 

(4) The Dunciad. 

(5) Translation of Homer. 

(6) Satires and Epistles. 

(7) Letters. 

1. Which is the greatest name among the British poets of 
the first part of the eighteenth century ? 

Alexander Pope. 

2. Where was Pope horn? 

He was born in London, of well-to-do Catholic par- 
ents, but passed a large part of his life at Twicken- 
ham, where be possessed a villa. 

3. Give a short account of his early life? 

Being a Catholic, the doors of the public schools 
and the universities were by law closed to the gifted 
boy, and he received his education chiefly at home 
from an aunt and several priests. But he soon took 
the work into his own hands. He was a self-taught 
man. His poetic power showed itself at an early age, 
for he says : 

"As yet a child, nor yet a fool to fame. 
1 lisped in numbers, for the numbers came." 

4. What was the earliest production of the young poet that 
we now possess? 

An Ode on Solitude, written before Pope was twelve 
years old. Dr. Johnson considers it "a perfect mas- 
terpiece" from one so young.* 



* The Ode to Solitude consists of five four-lined stanzas, of 
which the following is the opening one : 

"Happy the man whose wish and care 
A few paternal acres bound. 
Content to breathe his native air, 
In his own ground." 



206 



LESSOXS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



5. How did Pope chiefly spend his whole life? 

In retirement, study, and literary labor. 

6. What is the first of his remarkable poems in the order of 
time t 

The Essay on Criticism, which is, perhaps, unpar- 
alleled as the composition of a young man of twenty- 
one.* In it Pope lays down the laws of just criticism, 
and the causes which prevent it. 

7. Which is, perhaps, the happiest and most original of all 
Pope s poems? 

The Rape of the Loch, which is commonly consid- 
ered the best and most charming specimen of the 
mock-heroic to be found in English literature. 

8. Which poem did Pope mean to be his deepest and most 
philosophical? 

The famous Essay on Man; it is remarkable for 
wise sayings, poor theology, and beautiful versifica- 



* It is the kind of poem a man might write at the end of his 
career, when he has handled all modes of writing, and has grown 
gray in criticism ; and in this subject, whose treatment demands 
the experience of a whole literary life, he was in an instant as 
ripe as Boileau. — Taine. 

The Essay on Criticism contains many often-quoted passages, 
as : 

"Of all the causes which conspire to blind 
Man's erring judgment, and misguide the mind, 
What the weak head with strongest bias rules, 
Is Pride — the never-failing vice of fools." 

"Good nature and good sense must ever join ; 
To err is human ; to forgive, divine." 

"A little learning is a dangerous thing : 
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring." 

"Nay, fly to altars ; there they'll talk you dead : 
For fools rush in where angels fearto tread." 

"'Tis not enough no harshness gives offence : 
The sound must seem an Echo to the sense." 

"True ease in writing comes from art, not chance, 
As those move easiest who have learned to dance." 

"Some positive, persisting fops we know, 
Who, if once wrong, will needs be always so ; 
But you with pleasure own vour errors past, 
And make each day a Critic' on the last." 



EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 



207 



tion. ISTo poem in English has furnished so many 
proverbs.* 

9. What is the Dunciad? 

The Dunciad, or epic of the dunces, is an unparal- 
leled satirical j>oem, in which Pope revenged himself 
on a number of obscure poets and feeble critics by 
whom he had been attacked and libelled.f 

10. How is the poem divided, and what are its merits and 
defects? 

It is divided into four books, containing in all 1754 
lines. The Dunciad is the most sweeping, fierce, and 
brilliant satirical poem in English, but it sometimes 
blazes and flashes with a bitterness that cannot be 
defended on any grounds. 



* Here are a few detached specimens : 

"Know then thyself, presume not God to scan ; 
The proper study of mankind is man." 

"A wit's a feather, and a chief a rod : 
Aa honest man's the noblest work of God." 

"Hope springs eternal in the human breast : 
Man never is, but always to be, blest." 

"Lo, the poor Indian ! whose untutored mind 
Sees God in clouds, or hears Him in the wind.*' 

"Honour and shame from no condition rise ; 
Act well your part — there all the honour lies." 

"Worth makes the man, and want of it the fellow ; 
The rest is all but leather or prunella." 

"What can ennoble sots, or slaves, or cowards? 
Alas ! not all the blood of all the Howards." 

"All nature is but art unknown to thee ; 
All chance, direction, which thou canst not see." 

t The publication of Pope's Miscellanies (1727-8), in which 
Swift also took a share, brought round the heads of the offending 
authors an angry swarm of scribblers, buzzing like wasps whose 
nest had been rashly invaded. Then the real power of the 
crippled poet flashed out in full lustre. Seizing each wretched 
insect with the firm yet delicate hold of a skilful entomologist, he 
ruthlessly pinned it, in the full gaze of the world's scorn, on the 
sheets of the immortal Dunciad. There the unfortunate crea- 
tures still hang and wriggle ; and there, while English books are 
read, they shall remain. — Collier. 



208 LESSONS IX ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



11. What translation gave Pope both fame and money? 

His translation of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey into 
English verse.* 

12. What branch of prose literature was enriched by the pen 
of this poet? 

Letters. The chief defect of Pope's Letters is want 
of simplicity ; but he lived in an artificial age. 

13. Do you know anything about his personal appearance? 

He was small and deformed in person, and was al- 
ways in delicate health. f 

14. What was one of the most noble traits in Pope's character? 

His great affection for his father and mother.J 

15. Was his death edifying? 

It was truly so ; whatever may have been the errors 



* Milton and his family got but £28 for the greatest English 
epic ; Pope received more than £8000 for his translation of Homer. 

t Through all his fifty-six ivears. Pope was very frail and deli- 
cate. It is a wonder that soul and body kept together so long. 
When the poor little man got up in the morning, he had to be 
sewed into stiff canvas stays, without which he could scarcely 
stand erect. Fur and flannel were wrapped around his thin 
body, and it required three pairs of stockings to give his meagre 
legs a respectable appearance. "He was," says Sir Joshua 
Reynolds, ''about four feet six inches high, very humpbacked ana 
deformed. He wore a black coat, and, according to the fashion 
of that time, had on a little sword. He had a large and very 
fine Qive. and a long, handsome nose ; his mouth had those pecul- 
iar marks which are always found in the mouths of crooked per- 
sons, and the muscles which run across the cheek were so strong- 
ly marked that they seemed like small cords." 

t The following feeling and beautiful lines refer to tjie poet's 
mother : 

"O Friend ! may each domestic bliss be thine ! 
Be no unpleasing melancholy mine : 
Me let the tender office long engage 
To rock the cradle of reposing age ; 
With lenient arts extend a mother's breath, 
Make languor smile, and smooth the bed of death. 
Explore the thought, explain the asking eye, 
And keep a while one parent from the skv !" 



EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 



209 



of Pope's life, its closing scene was one of faith and 
pious resignation.* . . 

"If Pope must yield to other poets in point of fertility of 
fancy, yet in point of propriety, clearness, and elegance of dic- 
tion he can yield to none." — Warton. 

"This great man is allowed to have been one of the first rank 
amongst the poets of our nation, and to acknowledge the superi- 
ority of none but Shakespeare, Milton, and Dryden." — Dr. John- 
son. 

"The- most striking characteristics of his poetry are lucid ar- 
rangement of matter, closeness of argument, marvellous conden- 
sation of thought and expression, brilliancy of fancy ever supply- 
ing the aptest illustrations, and language elaborately finished al- 
most beyond example." — Dyce. 



LESSON II. 

JOSEPH ADDISON. DIED 1719. 

Chief works: (1) Account of the Greatest English Poets (in 
verse) . 

(2) Letter from Italy (in verse). 

(3) Remarks on Several Parts of Italy. 

(4) Dialogues on Medals. 

(5) The Campaign (a Poem). 

(6) Rosamond (an Opera). 

(7) Cato (a Tragedy). 

(8) The Drummer (a Comedy). 

(9) Essays in The Tatler, The Spectator, The 

Guardian, and The Freeholder. 

(10) Of the Christian Religion (an unfinished 

Treatise) . 

JOHN ARBUTHNOT, DIED 1735. 
Chief works: (1) History of John Bull. 

(2) Memoirs of Martinus Scriblerus (in collabor- 

ation with Pope). 

(3) Treatise Concerning the Altercation or 

Scolding of the Ancients. 

(4) Art of Political Lying. 

16. Give a short account of Addison's career. 

He was born in England, educated at Oxford, raised 
himself to high political position by penning a timely 



* The priest who administered the consolations of religion 
"came out from the dying man, . . . penetrated to the last de- 
gree with the state of mind in which he found his penitent — 
resigned and wrapt up in the love of God and man." — Carruther's 
Life of Pope. 



210 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

poem, and to great literary fame by his ability as an 
essayist and master of pure, elegant prose.* 

17. By what productions is he best known? 

By his essays in The Spectator.! 

18. What is Addison's Cato? 

It is a tragedy in the strictly classical form, which 
was wonderfully successful when produced in 1713; 
but time has greatly diminished its early reputation. 

19. Who was John Arbuthnot? 

He was a native of Scotland, an amiable man, a 
learned physician, and one of the most witty and bril- 
liant writers of the eighteenth century. 

20. Which is his most famous work? 

A curious volume entitled the History of John 
Bull, which, according to Lord Macaulay,is "the most 
ingenious and humorous political satire in our lan- 
guage." 



* The Spectator contains, undoubtedly, much sensible and 
sound morality : but it is not a very high order of Christian 
ethics. It contains much judicious criticism, but certainly not 
comparable to the deeper philosophy of criticism which has en- 
tered into English literature in the present [nineteenth] century. 
Those papers will always have a semi-historical interest, as pictur- 
ing the habits and manners of the times — a moral value, as a 
kindly goodnatured censorship of those manners. In one respect 
The Spectator stands unrivalled to this day — I allude to the ex- 
quisite humor in those numbers in which Sir Roger de Coverley 
figures. If anyone desire to form a just notion of what is meant 
by that very indefinable quality called "humor," he cannot more 
agreeably inform himself than by selecting the Sir Roger de 
Coverley papers and reading them in series. — Henry Reed. 

"Whoever wishes to attain an English style, familiar, but not 
coarse, and elegant, but not ostentatious, must give his days 
and nights to the volumes of Addison." — Samuel Johnson. 

f The Spectator, in which Richard (afterwards Sir Richard) 
Steele collaborated with Addison, was issued daily. The first 
number is dated March 1, 1711 ; the last December 6, 1712 — in 
all 555 numbers, 274 of which were written by Addison. A new 
series of The Spectator was brought out by Addison on his own 
account from June 18, 1714. to December 20, 1714. The 80 
numbers in this series were mainly from Addison's pen. 



EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 



211 



21. Give some idea of the nature of the work. 

It was intended to ridicule the Duke of Marlbor- 
ough, and to turn the nation against a continuance of 
the War of the Spanish Succession. The great war in 
which Europe was involved was represented as a law- 
suit carried on by John Bull against Lord Strutt* 
Nicholas Frogj and Esquire South% were parties to 
the suit on one side — John Bull paying their expenses. 
Louis Baboon^ was on the other side. John Bull's 
attorney, Humphrey Hocus, \\ manages the suit in such 
a way as to plunge John into a bottomless gulf of ex- 
pense. 

22. What was one result brought about by Arbuthnot's amusing 
burlesque ? 

It first stamped and fixed the popular ideal of 
John Bull as the embodiment of English peculiari- 
ties.^ 

LESSON III. 

DANIEL DEFOE. DIED 1731. 
Chief work : Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, 

23. Who was the author of Eobinson Crusoe? 

Daniel Defoe. 

24. At what age did he write his world-renowned book? 

When nearly sixty years of age, after a long and 
busy career as a political writer, he tried his hand at 



* Spain, 
t Holland. 
% Austria. 
§ France. 

il The Duke of Marlborough. 

If Of Arbuthnot, Swift said : "He has more wit than we all 
have, and his humanity is equal to his wit." Pope wrote : "His 
good morals were equal to any man's, but his wit and humour 
superior to all mankind." 



212 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



prose fiction, and gave the world his famous Robinson 
Crusoe * 

25. What can you say of Robinson Crusoe? 

It is the earliest work of its class in English,, and 
to this day it remains unrivalled. It is not properly 
classed as a novel, but may be described as a fictitious 
narrative depending on a slight basis of fact. 

26. What did Dr. Johnson remark of the book? 

That "nobody ever laid it down without wishing it 
were longer." f 



* Defoe's works number over 200. Many were the ups and 
downs of his life. He wrote : 

"No man hath tasted differing fortunes more : 
As thirteen times I have been rich and poor." 

t Alexander Selkirk, the sailing-master of an English privateer, 
was set ashore in 1704, at his own request, on the uninhabited 
island of Juan Fernandez, which lies several hundred miles from 
the coast of Chili, in the Pacific Ocean. He was supplied with 
clothing and arms and remained there alone for four years and 
four months. It is supposed that his adventures suggested the 
work. It is also likely that Defoe had read the journal of 
Peter Serrano, who, in the sixteenth century, had been marooned 
in like manner on a desolate island lying off the mouth of the 
Orinoco. The latter locality was adopted by Defoe. But it is 
not the fact or the adventures which give power to Robinson 
Crusoe. It is the manner of treating what might occur to any 
fancy, even the dullest. The charm consists in the simplicity and 
the verisimilitude of the narrative, the rare adaptation of the 
common man to his circumstances, his projects and failures, the 
birth of religion in his soul, the conflicting hopes and fears, his 
occasional despair. We see in him a brother, and a suffering one. 
We live his life on the island ; we share his terrible fear at the 
discovery of the footprint, his courage in destroying the cannibal 
savages and rescuing the victim. Where is there in fiction 
another man Fridaii? From the beginning of his misfortunes 
until he is again sailing for England — after nearly thirty years 
of captivity — he holds us spell-bound by the reality, the sim- 
plicity, and the pathos of his narrative,— Coppee, 



EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 



213 



LESSON IV. 

SAMUEL RICHARDSON. DIED 1761. 

Chief works: (1) Pamela; or Virtue Reicardcd. 

(2) Clarissa; or the History of a Young Lady. 

(3) Sir Charles Grandison. 

HENRY FIELDING. DIED 1754. 

Chief works: (1) Joseph Andrews. 

(2) Jonathan Wild. 

(3) Tom Jones. 

(4) Amelia. 

(5) Several Comedies. 

TOBIAS SMOLLETT. DIED 1771. 

Chief works: (1) Roderick Random. 

(2) Peregrine Pickle. 

(3) Ferdinand Count Fathom. 

(4) Sir Launcelot Greaves. 

(5) Humphry Clinker. 

(6) History of England. 

(7) Translation of Don Quixote and of Gil Bias. 

27. Who are usually classed together as the three most fa- 
mous British novelists of the eighteenth century? 

Richardson, Fielding, and Smollett. 

28. Which of these writers comes first in the order of time? 

Samuel Richardson. 

29. Do you know anything of his life? 

It was a common one. He was a prudent and suc- 
cessful English business man, a printer by trade. 

30. In what branch of fiction did Richardson lead the way? 
He was trie pioneer in that branch of fiction which 

describes the common events of life. 

31. Which was his earliest production? 

Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded, 



214: LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



32. Which is his greatest work? 

Clarissa. 

33. Who next followed in the new path struck out by Eich- 
ardson ? 

Henri/ Fielding, an English lawyer of great genius 
and loose morals, who jeered at the virtue pictured 
by Richardson in Pamela, and wrote a novel* to make 
the wicked jeer more lasting. 

34. Which is his greatest work? 

Tom Jones. 

35. How did Fielding particularly excel? 

As a most skilled delineator of human life — often 
in its most degraded forms. 

36. For what do his productions deserve severe condemnation? 

For their coarseness and gross indelicacy. It is no 
excuse to say that his tainted pages are but real pic- 
tures of English life in his day. 

37. Who was Tobias Smollett? 

He was a physician, a native of Scotland, and stcod 
third among the old masters of English fiction. 

38. Which was the last and best effort of his genius? 

Humphry Clinker, the finest and most humorous 
of his works. 

39. Are Smollett's novels open to censure on the score of 
immorality? 

They are, and justly so. He exceeds even Fielding 
in vile coarseness, and many of his chapters are shock- 
ingly obscene. 

40. Sum up the chief points in which Richardson, Fielding, and 
Smollett each excel. 

Eichardson is noted for passion and sentimentality ; 
Fielding, for unrivalled humor, satire, freshness, and 
skill in picturing human nature; and Smollett, for 
broad humor and comic incidents. Of the three, 
Fielding was much the greatest genius. 



Joseph Andrews. 



EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 



215 



"Richardson always wrote with a moral purpose, which the 
other two had not ; though that does not hinder much that he 
wrote from being of an objectionable tendency." — T. Arnold. 

"Richardson, marked according to our standard, might be set 
down as licentious. As compared with Fielding, however, and 
others of his age, his w T orks appear to great advantage, and show 
a distinct moral tendency. Richarson himself probably never 
dreamed but that he was furthering the cause of good morals : 
and the favor with which Pamela and Clarissa were read and 
recommended by the best and wisest of the day shows us how 
careful we must be in our estimates of writers of works of im- 
agination." — Hart. 



LESSON" V. 

ALBAN BUTLER. DIED 1773. 
Chief work : Lives of the Saints 

RICHARD CHALLONER. DIED 1781. 

Chief works: (1) Memoirs of Missionary Priests and other 
Catholics. 

(2) The Catholic Christian Instructed. 

(3) Revision of the Douay Bible. 

41. Who was Alban Butler ? 

A native of England and a pious and learned Cath- 
olic priest, he was for many vears president of the 
English college at St. Omer, France. 

42. What is the title of his great work? 

The Lives of the Saints. 

43. What does this work comprise? 

It comprises the lives of the Apostles, Doctors, Fa- 
thers, Mart}TS, and other principal Saints from the 
foundation of the Church down to the writer's own 
time.* 



* The Lives of the Saints is divided into 12 volumes — some- 
times published in 4 — corresponding to the months of the year. 
Each volume contains about 120 lives, together with many notes, 
critical, historical, literary, and explanatory. The work is truly 
a vast storehouse of curious learning both secular and ecclesi- 
astical. It w r as translated into French, Spanish, and Italian. 
"It is," says the Encyclopaedia Britannica, "in all respects the 
best work of its kind in English literature." 



21G 



LESSONS 



IN 



ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



44. What are its merits? 

It is an incomparable production — the result of a 
life of unwearied piety, labor, and learning. Even 
Gibbon pronounced it "a work of merit;" and we 
risk nothing in saying that it is the greatest storehouse 
of Catholic biography in the English language.* 

45. Who was Bishop Challoner? 

The Eight Rev. Richard Challoner was one of the 
most learned and best known English Catholic writers 
of the eighteenth century. 

46. What subjects were chiefly enriched by his pen? 

Devotional, religious, and controversial subjects. 

47. What is his Memoirs of Missionary Priests and other 
Catholics?! 

It is a most interesting series of sketches of Cath- 
olic missionaries and other faithful men and women 
who lived, labored, and suffered death or imprison- 
ment in England during the time of the barbarous 
Penal Laws. An account is given of 180 martyrs who 
suffered in the reign of Elizabeth alone. 

48. Which is the most popular of all Dr. Challoner's works? 

The Catholic Christian Instructed, which was first 
published in 1737. It is in the form of question and 
answer, and is one of the very best short works on 
the Sacraments, Holy Mass, Festivals, Ceremonies, 
and Observances of the Catholic Church, 



* It is to be regretted that Butler's notices of the Irish Saints 
are so extremely meagre and imperfect. Even such illustrious per- 
sonages as St. Patrick, St. Rrigid, and St. Columbkille are dis- 
missed in short, dry sketches that can barelv claim the merit of 
accuracy. 

t First published in 1741. The full title is Memoirs of Mis- 
sionary Priests and other Catholics of both Sexes toho suffered 
Death or Imprisonment in England on account of their Religion, 
from the year 1577 till the end of the reign of Charles II. 



EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 



217 



49* What was his chief Scriptural labor? 

A much-esteemed revision of the Douay version of 
the Catholic Bible.* 

50. What may be said of the style of Butler and Challoner] 

They both wrote in pure, calm, elegant English. 



LESSON VI. 



DAVID HUME. DIED 1776. 

Chief works: (1) Essays, Moral and Philosophical. 

(2) Philosophical Essays Concerning Human 

Un ders ta n din g. 

(3) Inquiry Concerning the Principles of 

Morals. 

(4) Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion. 

(5) Political Discourses. 

(6) History of England. 

WILLIAM ROBERTSON. DIED 1793. 

Chief works: (1) History of Scotland. 

(2) History of the Reign of Charles V. 

(3) History of America. 

51. Who were the British historians of the eighteenth cen- 
tury? 

Hume, Robertson, and Gibbon. 



* It is commonly called the Douay Bible, because it was first 
published at Douay, in France. The English college at Douay 
was established in 1568 by the famous Cardinal Allen and other 
learned Catholic professors who had been banished from Oxford 
and Cambridge by the fanatics of the English Reformation. The 
translation of the whole Sacred Volume was completed in 1582, 
and the New Testament was printed at Rheims in that year. 
This is why the English Catholic Bible is sometimes called the 
Rheims-Douay Bible. Owing to want of funds, however, the 
Old Testament was not published until 1609, in which year it 
was issued at Douay. The burden of translation fell mainly 
upon Dr. Gregory Martin, renowned as one of the greatest Greek 
and Hebrew scholars of that age ; and his work was revised by 
Cardinal Allen, Dr. Richard Bristoiv, and Dr. William Reynolds. 
The notes to the New Testament were from the pen of Dr. 
Bristow, and the notes to the Old Testament were the work of 
Dr. Thomas Worthington. This version has the approval of 
the Faculties of the Universities of Rheims and Douay. but it has 
never received a Roman approbation. The Douay Bible is a 
direct translation from the Latin Vulgate of St. Jerome* The 
first edition of Challoner's revision is dated 1749= 



218 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

52. Do you know anything of Hume's career? 

Born in Edinburgh, he filled many public offices, 
among them that of Under-Secretary of State. 

53. Which were the first works he gave to the world? 

Essays on various moral, political, and philosophi- 
cal subjects. 

54. To what dangerous class of thinkers did Hume belong? 

He was a free-thinker and a thorough-going infi- 
del, who sneered at the Christian religion. 

55. What period does his History of England cover? 

From 55 b. c. to a. d. 1688. 

56. What may be said of the style of this work? 

The style is flowing and graceful, but is very far 
from being idiomatic. Hume was a Scotchman, and 
this, together with his French studies, gave a wrong 
turn to his phraseology. 

57. How is this once-lauded History now estimated by the 
best scholars? 

It is acknowledged to be weak, one-sided, and un- 
trustworthy. Hume was a careless, dishonest, bigoted, 
and superficial writer. He is no longer an authority 
on English history.* 



* Speaking of the historical writers of tho eighteenth century, 
Henry Reid says : Of these historians Gibbon is the only one 
whose history preserves to this day its authority, on the score of 
such extensive research and deep learning as were required by 
his large theme. With regard to Hume and Robertson — the two 
most popular historians — the labors of later students of his- 
tory have demonstrated that their works are of that indolent and 
superficial character which destroys their authority as trust- 
worthy chroniclers. I do not suppose that any careful and con- 
scientious inquirer after historic truth would, at the present day, 
consider a question of history determined by a statement in the 
Histories of either Hume or Robertson." — Lectures on English 
Literature. 

"One object, always uppermost with Hume, is to malign the 
Catholic religion."— Cobbett. 



EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 



219 



58. Who was William Robertson? 

He was a native of Scotland, a Presbyterian minis- 
ter, Principal of the University of Edinburgh, and 
historiographer for Scotland. 

59. Which do you consider Robertson's masterpiece? 

His History of the Reign of Charles V. 

60. What does his History of America contain? 

The History of America, in eight books, contains 
an account of the discovery of the New World and of 
the progress of the Spanish arms and colonies on its 
shores down to the latter part of the eighteenth cen- 
tury. It covers the most splendid portion of early 
American history.* 

61. What may be said of the once-admired style of this 
writer ? 

His style, though stately and elegant, is too cold, 
wordy, affected, and rhetorical. 

62. What, perhaps, prevented Robertson from being a great 
historian ? 

He was bigoted, frigid in feeling, and careless in 
research.f He lacked that industry, that deep love of 
truth, that absorbing interest in his subject, and that 
marvellous life-giving power which are the property of 
true genius, and the real secret of success in the work 
of historical composition. 



* Robertson's work, which he left unfinished, does not touch 
the French or British colonies in America. Mexico and Peru re- 
ceive the largest share of attention. 

f Here is one instance out of many. Robertson, while engaged 
in writing his History of Scotland, had consulted Hume about the 
trial of Mary Queen of Scots. The bigoted, easy-going Hume 
sent him a version which was at once used. But in the mean 
time a gentleman who went more deeply into such things showed 
the historian of England that his version was false. It was too 
late, Robertson's work had gone to press, and the publisher re- 
fused to have any changes or corrections made. And thus, sa<vs 
a late writer, "the blind led the blind, and The History of Scot- 
land — whole sheets of which ought to have been re-written, and 
scattered passages founded upon theory erased — was given to the 
world becaused the printer refused to disturb the press and the 
author was disinclined to demolish such a fair creation J" 



15 



220 



LESSOXS IX ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



LESSON VII. 

EDWARD GIBBON. DIED 1794. 

Chief works: (1) The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. 
(2) Autobiography. 

63. Who was Edward Gibbon? 

He was the greatest British historian of the eigh- 
teenth century. 

64. In a few words, tell us something of his career] 

He was a native of England, studied for a time at 
Oxford,* then in Switzerland, and at the age of 
twenty-seven, while on a visit to Rome, he conceived 
the idea of writing his famous history, f He died six 
years after its completion. 

65. What period of time is embraced in The Decline and Fall 
of the Roman Empire? 

It begins with the reign of Trajan, a. d. 98, and 
ends with the fall of the Eastern Empire, a. d. 1453. 



* It was while at Oxford that Gibbon became a Catholic. He 
was led to this step by a careful reading of the works of Bossuet 
and Parsons. His displeased father first placed him under the 
care of the deist Mallet and then sent the young student to 
Lausanne in Switzerland, to be under the training of a Calvinist 
clergyman. With such influences brought to bear upon him, the 
unstable Gibbon soon ceased to be a Catholic. Speaking of the 
famous work that had most to do in directing his course toward 
the Catholic Church — Bossuet's History of the Variations of the 
Protestant Churches — he says : "In the History of the Variations, 
an attack equally vigorous and well-directed, Bossuet shows, by a 
happy mixture of reasoning and narration, the errors, mistakes, 
uncertainties, and contradictions of our first Reformers, whose 
variations, as he learnedly maintains, bear the marks of error ; 
while the uninterrupted unity of the Catholic Church is a sign 
and testimony of infallible truth. I read, approved, and be 
liev<ed." — Gibbon's Memoirs. 

f "It was at Rome," he writes, "on the 15th of October, 1764, 
as I sat musing amidst the ruins of the Capitol, while the Bare 
footed Friars were singing Vespers in the Temple of Jupiter, 
that the idea of writing the decline and fall of the City first 
started to my mind.'* 



EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 



221 



66. What is your opinion of the style in which The Decline 
and Fall is written ? 

It is elegant and powerful, but in Gibbon's style we 
miss the charm of simplicity. All is pompous and 
elaborate. He can say nothing in plain terms. He is 
always trying to shine. 

67. Is this famous History a work of great merit? 

It is, in many respects, a great historical composi- 
tion. Sweeping over a vast field in the annals of the 
world, it exhibits astonishing industry, and wide and 
varied learning skilfully handled. But in spite of its 
many merits, it must be said that it is a very danger- 
ous and offensive work. 

68. How so? 

Gibbon was destitute of moral feeling and nobility 
of sentiment. He was dead to the moral grandeur of 
the Christian Church. And though nowhere profess- 
ing unbelief, he takes care on every occasion to mock 
at the beauty, power, and purity of the Christian re- 
ligion. He has praises only for paganism. He can- 
not be just, because he will not believe.* 

69. Is there any other feature that is especially offensive in 
The Decline and Fall? 

There is ; its pages are often stained by that woeful 



* The very fact that Gibbon could not appreciate the heavenly 
action of the Church on those peoples which she converted, civi 
lized, educated into national greatness, and stimulated to all 
kinds of noble and heroic deeds, is in itself a proof conclusive 
that he was wholly wanting in one qualification essential to the 
historian of the long, eventful period covered fyy the Decline and 
Fall of the Roman Empire. Gibbon had no spiritual aspirations 
himself, and he could neither appreciate nor understand them in 
others. His soul was contracted, his heart deprived of feeling, 
his moral nature stunted, and his mental eyesight dimmed by 
the cold, withering influence of infidelity. Those who wish to 
know more about the fallacy of Gibbon's arguments, and the true 
history of the rise of Christianity, may consult Morison's Life of 
Gibbon, Cardinal Newman's Grammar of Assent, and Father The"- 
baud's Church and the Gentile World. 



222 



LESSOXS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



depravity of imagination which delights in the de- 
scription of scenes disgusting and licentious. 

70. What is Gibbon's Autobiography? 

As the title indicates, it is his life written by him- 
self. It is one of the most interesting autobiogra- 
phies in the English language. 



"When a Christian bishop or doctor, or a religious king, comes 
before his field of vision, it is not in Gibbon to be just ; he cannot 
or will not believe that such a man was anything more than a 
compound of enthusiasm and superstition, in whom morality was 
always ready to give way to ecclesiastical considerations ; and 
his sneering" cavils seem to leave their trail upon the purest 
virtue, the most exalted heroism, which the times that he writes 
of produced for the instruction of mankind. He is in thorough 
sympathy with no one except Julian the Apostate!" — Thomas 
Arnold. 

"Gibbon is a writer full of thoughts. In general, his language 
is powerful and exquisite ; but it has. to great excess, the faults 
of elaboration, pomposity, and monotony. His style is full of 
Latin and French words and phrases. That elaborate and half- 
Latin manner of writing by which Gibbon is distinguished had 
before him been brought verv much into fashion by the example 
of the critic Johnson : in principle at least the English have now 
departed from it. and speak of it as a false kind, and one hostile 
to the spirit of their language. The work of Gibbon, however 
instructive and fascinating it may be, is nevertheless at bottom 
an offensive one, on account of his propensity to the infidel opin- 
ions and impious mockeries of Voltaire." — F. Schlegel. 



LESSOX VIII 

SAMUEL JOHXSOX. DIED 1784. 

Chief works: (1) London fa satire, in verse) 

(2) The Vanity of Human Wishes (a satire, in 

verse ) . 
(3) Irene (a tragedy). 

(4) The Rambler. 

(5) The Idler. 

(6) Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinnia (an Eastern 

tale, in prose). 

(7) A Journey to the M^estem Isles of Scot- 

land. 

(8) Lives o1 the English Poets. 

(9) Pamphlets. 

(10) Dictionary of the English Language. 
71. Who was Samuel Johnson? 

He was an English poet, critic, essayist, novelist, 
dramatist, and lexicographer, who holds a central 



EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 



223 



place among the writers of the second half of the 
eighteenth century. 

72. Tell us something of his life. 

It was a life of many ups and downs, In youth he 
had a hard battle with poverty and disease. He was 
nearly fifty before he became well known.* But care 
and industry raised him from the condition of a hun- 
gry, penniless wanderer to the rank of Great Mogul 
of English letters. 

73. What service did Johnson render to the English language? 

He published in 1755 his great Dictionary of the 
English Language, on which he had been engaged for 
nearly eight years. It is not strong on the philological 
side, but it abounds in happy and clear definitions, 
which are further illustrated by apposite quotations. 
It remained the standard English dictionary for 100 
years, f 

74. What does the volume on the Lives of the English Poets 
comprise? 

It comprises the lives of fifty-two poets. It begins 
with CWley, who died in 1667, and ends with George, 



* In his poem called London, Johnson thus gives expression to 
his own long struggles : 

"This mournful truth is everywhere confessed — 
Slow rises worth by poverty depressed." 

f The first English dictionary was John Bullokar's English Ex- 
positor of Hard Words. It was published in 1616, the very year 
"that Shakespeare died, and contained about 5000 words. John- 
son's Dictionary contained about 43,000 words. Since that time, 
great advances have been made in English lexicography. Web- 
ster's Unabridged Dictionary (1880) contained 118,000 words 
which were increased in Webster's International Diction- 
ary (1890) to 175,000, and the number was still further in- 
creased in the edition of 1900. Webster's Neiv International 
Dictionary (1910) claims over 400.000 words, but these include 
inflected forms and proper names. Worcester's Dictionary (1881) 
contains 116,000 words: Ogilvie's Imperial Dictionary (1881) 
130,000; The Cent urn Dictionary (1899), 200,000. The Oxford 
Dictionary, or New English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 
is not yet (1913) complete. 



224 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



Lord Lyttleton, who died in 1773. The work gives 
us Johnson's estimate of some of the greatest names in 
English literature, including Milton, Dryden, Addi- 
son, Swift, and Pope, and is the last important volume 
that came from his pen. 

75. What story is Johnson said to have written during the 
evenings of one week, in 1759, in order to defray the expenses of 
his mother's funeral? 

Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia 

76. What were The Kambler and The Idler! 

They were periodicals from Johnson's pen some- 
what on the plan of The Spectator. Each lived about 
two years. 

77. What was the origin of his famous .Tourney to the He- 
brides? 

During a tour through the western islands of Scot- 
land, Johnson gave charming descriptions in a series 
of letters to a lady friend, which lie afterwards pre- 
pared for publication. The work has many eloquent 

passages.* 

78. What may he said of Johnson's style? 

It was neither simple nor natural. It was a style 
marked by "words of learned length and thundering 
sound." But it seems there was some strange sym- 

* Here is one. It exhibits Johnson's stvle at its best. It is 
his reflections on landing at Iona. which had been blessed by the 
life and labors of St. Columbkille : 

"We are now treading," says Johnson, "that illustrious island 
which was once the luminary of the Caledonian regions, whence 
savage clans and roving barbarians derived the benefits of know- 
ledge and the blessings of religion. To abstract the mind from 
all local emotion would be impossible if it were endeavoured, and 
would be foolish if it were possible. Whatever withdraws us 
from the power of our senses, whatever makes the past, the dis- 
tant, or the future predominate over the present, advances us in 
the dignity of thinking beings. Far from me and mv friends be 
such frigid philosophy as may conduct us indifferent and unmoved 
oyer any ground which has been dignified bv wisdom, bravery, or 
virtue. That man is little to be envied whose patriotism would 
not gain force on the plains of Marathon, or whose pietv would 
not grow warm among the ruins of Iona." 



EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 225 

pathy between J oknson's bulky frame* and the pon- 
derous terms that fell from his pen. 

79. What celebrated work has done much to spread the 
name of Johnson and to immortalize his fame? 

BoswelPs Life of Johnson.^ 



"In massive force of understanding, multifarious knowledge, 
sagacity, and moral intrepidity, no writer of the eighteenth cen- 
tury surpassed Dr. Samuel Johnson. His various works, with 
their sententious morality and high-sounding sonorous periods — 
his manly character and appearance — his great virtues and 
strong prejudices — his early and severe struggles — his love of 
argument and society, into which he poured the treasures of a 
rich and full mind — his wit, repartee, and brow-beating — his 
rough manners and kind heart — his curious household, in which 
were congregated the lame, the blind, and the despised — his very 
looks, gesticulations, and dress — have all been brought so vividly 
before us by his biographer, Boswell, that to readers of every 
class Johnson is as w r ell known as a member of their own family." 
— Chambers. 



* A huge and slovenly figure, clad in a greasy brown coat and 
coarse black worsted stockings, wearing a gray wig with 
scorched foretop, rolls in his armchair long past midnight, hold- 
ing in a dirty hand his nineteenth cup of tea. As he pauses to 
utter one of his terrible growls of argument, or rather of dog- 
matic assertion, commencing invariably with a thunderous Sir, 
w T e have leisure to note the bitten nails, the scars of kings evil 
that mark his swollen face, and the convulsive workings of the 
muscles round mouth and eyes which accompany the puffs and 
snorts foreboding a coming storm of ponderous English talk. 
Such was the famous Dr. Samuel Johnson in his old age, when 
he had climbed from the most squalid cellars of Grub Street to 
the dictatorial throne of English criticism— such the man who 
wrote Rasselas and London, who compiled the great English 
Dictionary, and composed the majestically moral pages of / he 
Rambler. — Collier. , 

t "Homer," says Lord Macaulay, "is not more decidedly the 
first of heroic poets, Shakespeare is not more decidedly the first 
of dramatists, Demosthenes is not more decidedly the first of 
orators, than Boswell is the first of biographers. 



226 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



LESSON IX. 

ROBERT BURNS. DIED 1796. 
(1) Poems. (2) Songs. (3) Letters. 

WILLIAM COWPER. DIED 1800. 
(1) Poems. (2) Letters. (3) Translation of Homer. 

80. Who was Eobert Burns? 

He was one of the greatest and most original of the 
British song-writers. 

81. Can you give a short account of his humble life? 

Burns was a poor Scottish ploughboy, with no ad- 
vantages but those of a country school. His career 
was sad. It seems that his life was one continued 
struggle with poverty, strong passions, and a poorly 
balanced character. But the many faults of the man 
are almost forgotten in the glory of the poet. He 
died at the age of thirty-seven.* 

82. Mention some of his best poems. 

The Twa Dogs; The Brigs of Ayr; Halloween; 
Tarn o' Shanter; his most famous poem; The Cot- 



* Burns was a strong, fine-looking man, and, in the words of 
Sir Walter Scott, "his manners were rustic, not clownish : a sort 
of dignified plainness and simplicity which received part of its 
effect perhaps from one's knowledge of his extraordinary talents. 
* * * I never saw such another eye in human head, though I 
have seen the most distinguished men in my time." 

It was his delight to wander along the banks of the Ayr, and 
to listen to the song of the blackbird at the close of the summer's 
day. But still greater was his pleasure, as he himself informs 
us, in walking on the sheltered s.ide of a wood, in a cloudy 
winter, and hearing the storm rave among the trees ; and more 
elevated still his delight to ascend some eminence during the agi- 
tations of nature, to stride along its summit while the lightning 
flashed around him, and, amid the howlings of the tempest, to 
apostrophize the spirit of the storm. Such situations he de- 
clares most favorable to devotion — "Rapt in enthusiasm, I 
seemed to ascend towards Him toho walks on the icings of the 
wind:* — Hudson, 



EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 



227 



ter's Saturday Night; and To a Mountain Daisy. 
They are all short productions. 

83. What is it that makes the memory of Bums especially 
dear to his countrymen? J 

His Songs, which are at once tender, manly, soul- 
stirring, and patriotic. 

84. Name a few of his best known songs? 

BannocJcburn: Robert Bruce s Address to His Army, 
beginning, "Scots, wha hae wi' Wallace bled;" For A' 
That and A' That;* Highland Mary; The Banks o 
Boon; My Heart's in the Highlands; My Nanie, 0; 



* For A' That and A' That. 
"Is there, for honest poverty, 
That hangs his head and a' that? 
The coward-slave, we pass him by, 
We dare be poor for a' that ! 
For a' that, and a' that, 
Our toils obscure and a' that ; 
The rank is but the guinea-stamp, 
The man's the gowd for a' that. 

"What tho' on hamely fare we dine, 
Wear hodden-grey, and a' that ; 
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine, 
A man's a man for a' that ! 
For a' that, and a' that. 
Their tinsel show, and a' that ; 
The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor, 
Is King o' men for a* that. 

"Ye see yon birkie, ca'd a lord, 
Wha struts, and stares, and a' that ; 
Tho' hundreds worship at his word, 
ile's but a coof for a' that, 
For a' that, and a' that ; 
His riband, star, and a' that, 
The man of independent mind, 
He looks and laughs at a' that. 

"A prince can mak' a belted knight, 
A marquis, duke, and a' that ; 
But an honest man's aboon his might — 
Guid faith, he maunna fa' that ! 
For a' that, and a' that. 
Their dignities, and a' that, 
The pith o' sense, and pride o' worth, 
Are higher rank than a' that. 



228 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



Auld Lang Syne; Mary M orison; and To Mary in 
Heaven. 

85. Who was the special poet of the domestic affections in 

the eighteenth century? 

William Cowper. 

86. Do you know anything concerning his life? 

It was most unhappy. Cowper was a native of 
England. He was a gentle, melancholy character - 
and at times, a maniac — who turned to poetry, like 
Saul to the harper, for relict' in his sufferings. 

87. Which is Cowper's greatest poem? 

The Task, a didactic work in six books.* 



"Then let us pra-y that come it may. 
As come it will for a' that. 
That sense and worth, o'er a' the oartb, 
May bear the gree, and a' that ; 
For a' that, and a' that, 
It's coming yet, for a' that. 
That man to man, the warld o'er, 
Shall brothers be for a' that. 



The student must remember that Bums wrote In tho dialort 
of the Scottish Lowlands. The following explanation of a few 
words may assist him in better comprehending For f That and 



all 

doivd gm 

IfJ 1 ^ homely 

fae give 

I? s o ° { 

a conceited fellow 

* a » ed 

mn U a dunce, fool, ninnv 

Zln 

mid :::::::::::::::::$£* 

f a r nna must not 

gree * claim, pretended to 

^ti:::::::;::::;:-;;;;;;;;;;;;?*^ 

dle^i ml^]i^Ll ^h Sad da J— !t was sad for him— a mid- 
ale agea man bent over the never-forgotten image of that kindest 



EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 229 

88. Name his two best known short poems. 

John Gilpin and Alexander Selkirk. 

89. What may be said of Cowper's Letters? 

They are among the best in English literature. 

90. What ancient poet did he give to England in a new trans- 
lation? 

Homer ; the translation was the work of seven years. 



Summary of Chapter V., Book II. 

1. Four English sovereigns reigned during the 
eighteenth century — Anne, George L, George II., and 
George III. 

2. The union of England and Scotland took place 
in 1707. 

3. France ceded Canada to England in 1763. 

4. The American colonists achieved their independ- 
ence and founded this Eepublic between 1776 and 
1783. 

5. Prose developed in this century, and took pos- 
session of new fields in fiction, history, and periodi- 
cal literature. 



of earthly friends, and penned the following beautiful Lines to 

his Mother's Picture: 

"My mother ! when I learned that thou wast dead, 
Say, wast thou conscious of the tears 1 shed? 
Hovered thy spirit o'er thy sorrowing son, 
Wretch even then — life's journey just begun? 
Perhaps thou gav'st me, though unfelt, a kiss ; 
Perhaps a tear, if souls can weep in bliss : 
Ah, that maternal smile ! it answers, Yes. 
I heard the bell tolled on thy burial-day, 
I saw the hearse that bore thee slow away, 
And turning from my nursery-window, drew 
A long, long sigh, and wept a last adieu ! 
But was it such? — It was. — Where thou art gone 
Adieus and farewells are a sound unknown. 
May I but meet thee on that peaceful shore, 
The parting words shall pass my lips no more ! 



230 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



6. The English novel, the daily newspaper, and pe- 
riodical literature date from this age. 

7. Pope's is the most famous name in the earlier lit- 
erature of this period. He is one of the great refiners 
of the English language. 

8. Burns stands at the head of the song-writers of 
Scotland, if not, indeed, of Great Britain. 

9. Addison is among the greatest English prose- 
writers of this century. 

10. Defoe in Robinson Crusoe gave a new impetus 
to the fictitious narrative. 

11. The great English novelists of the period were 
Richardson, Fielding, and Smollett. Richardson is 
generally regarded as the founder of the novel, in the 
modern acceptation of that term. 

12. Butler and Challoner were the principal Cath- 
olic prose-writers of this age. 

13. The great British historians of the eighteenth 
century are Hume, Robertson, and Gibbon. Robertson 
was a Presbyterian minister. Hume and Gibbon were 
infidels. 

14. Dr. Samuel Johnson's is one of the most famous 
names in English literature. The English language 
is indebted to him for its first great dictionary. 

15. His style of writing has received the name of 
Johnsonese. It is marked by "words of learned length 
and thundering sound." 

16. Boswell's Life of Johnson holds the first place 
among English personal biographies. 

17. Bird's-eye view of the chief British writers and 
works of the eighteenth century 

poets : 

Alexander Pope, Essay on Man. 
Robert Burns, Songs. 
William Cowper, Poems. 



EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 



231 



PKOSE-TVRITERS : 

Joseph Addison, Essays in the Spectator. 

John Arbuthnot, The History of John Bull. 

Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe. 

Samuel Richardson, Clarissa: 

Henry Fielding, Tom Jones. 

Tobias Smollett, Humphry Clinker. 

Alban Butler, Lives of the Saints. 

Richard Challoner, Memoirs of Missionary Priests. 

David Hume, History of England. 

William Robertson, History of the Reign of Charles V. 
Edward Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. 
Samuel Johnson, Lives of the Poets. 

In the Short Dictionary at the end of this book 
reference is made to the following eighteenth-century 
British writers : 

Mark Akenside ; James Beattie ; William Beckf ord ; 
Jeremy Bentham; George Berkeley; Sir William 
Blackstone; William Blake; James Boswell; Joseph 
Butler; Thomas Chatterton; Charles Churchill; Wil- 
liam Collins; George Colman the Elder; George Col- 
man the Younger; Charles Dodd; Madame D'Arblay 
(Fanny Burney) ; Robert Fergusson; John Gay; 
Thomas Gray; William Godwin; James Macpherson; 
Henry Mackenzie ; William Mason ; Lady Mary Wort- 
ley Montagu; Hannah More; Sir Isaac Newton; Wil- 
liam Paley; Robert Paltock; Thomas Parnell ; Am- 
brose Philips ; Matthew Prior ; Ann Radcliff e ; Allan 
Ramsay; Samuel Rogers; Nicholas Rowe; William 
Shenstone; Christopher Smart; Adam Smith; Henry 
St John, Viscount Bolingbroke; James Thomson; 
Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford; Gilbert White; Ed- 
ward Young, 



232 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



CHAPTER VI. 

BRITISH LITERATURE OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. 

A. D. 1801 TO 1900. 

I. The Age of Scott, Coleridge, Wordsworth, Byron, Shelley, 
and Keats. 

II. The Age of Tennyson, Browning, and Swinbdrne. 

III. The Age of Hallam, Macau lay, Newman, Kt skin, and 
Caulyle. 

IV. The Age of Thackeray, Dickens, George Eliot, and 
Meredith. 



historical introduction. 

1. Great Britain in the Nineteenth Century. 
— During the nineteenth century four rulers occupied 
the British throne — George III., George J V William 
IV., and Queen Victoria. 

Towards the close of the eighteenth century the 
French Revolution led to a dreadful social, religious, 
and political upheaval. It rocked France like an 
earthquake. The shock was felt in England and 
throughout Europe. It involved France in war 
with the other great powers, and raised up the 
most brilliant military genius of modern times. For 
years the gentle voice of peace was drowned by the 
tramp of armies and the thunder of artillerv. Again 
and again England and her allies grappled "with Na- 
poleon* and were made to bite the dust. Britannia, 
indeed, "ruled the wave/' but on land France was 
supreme. In 1810 George III. lost his reason, and his 



* Born 1769, died 1821, 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 233 

son, the Prince of Wales,* was appointed Regent. 
The extraordinary career of Napoleon was also draw- 
ing to a close. Flushed with triumph, this soldier of 
fortune grew dizzy in his elevation, and forgot to be 
just and religious. His treatment of the Vicar of 
Christ was shameful. The bubble of success burst. 
Disaster frowned on his arms, and, in 1815, his last 
hopes were buried on the blood-stained field of Water- 
loo. England and her allies rejoiced in the hard-won 
victory. 

The insane George III. died in 1820, and was suc- 
ceeded by his son George IV., who for ten years had 
acted as Regent. His short reign was full of political 
excitement. Its most glorious event, however, was 
the emancipation of the much-oppressed Catholics in 
1829,f which was brought about chiefly by the manly, 
perserving exertions of Daniel O'Connell, the fear- 
less and eloquent champion of civil and religious lib- 
erty. George IV. was called "the first gentleman in 
Europe," but he was involved in serious scandals, 
quarrelled with his wife, swore like a jockey, and made 
anything but a clean reputation. He was a worn-out 
voluptuary. He had some ability, but no virtue. 

George IV. died in 1830, and his brother William 
IV. came to the throne. His reign of seven years is 
notable for the passage of the 'Reform Act.% William 



* Afterwards George IV. , 
f Many vears before this, William Pitt had given the Catholics 
a pledge that he would relieve them from their disabilities. But 
George III.— fanatic that he was— was hopelessly obstinate in 
his anti-Catholic feeling. He even intimated that he .should re- 
gard every man as his personal enemy who would urge tne 
claims of the Catholics to emancipation . fi «. rn ft Pn 

tThe Reform Act (passed in 1832) disfranchised I 06 ™tton 
boroughs," distributed their 173 members among hitherto . un- 
represented constituencies in England, Scotland Irelanrt 
gave the franchise to householders paying rates m boi ©Wis tor 
houses of the yearly value of £10. and extended the f ra n °n, o 
for counties to copyholders to the value of £10 a year, ana to 



234 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE, 



had little brains, and was rough and boorish in be- 
havior. He had been an unmanageable naval officer 
before being clothed with regal power; but, certainly, 
he was better fitted by nature to walk a quarter-deck 
than to guide the destinies of a great kingdom. 

The crown passed to the youthful Victoria, daugh- 
ter of the Duke of Kent,* in 1837, and her long reign 
was marked by many historic events. In 1840 she 
was married to her German cousin. Prince Albert, 
About this time an extraordinary movement began in 
the Anglican Church — that is, the Protestant Church 
of England as by law established. The days of sav- 
age fanaticism were passing. A spirit of honest in- 
quiry led some of the best and brightest minds of 
England to study Christian antiquity and the claims 
of the Catholic Church. A new world of truth was 
revealed. The scales of prejudice and ignorance fell 
from their eyes. Grace completed the work. Many 
of these noble and gifted men sacrificed every earthly 
consideration, and returned to that ancient faith 
from which their fathers had apostatized in the reigns 
of Henry VIII., Edward VI., and Elizabeth. The 
leader in this movement was the learned John Hr.nn/ 
Newmanj of Oxford University. He became a Cath- 
olic in 1845. "I am this night/ 3 lie wrote to some 
friends on October 8th, "expecting Father Dominic, 



lh a o Se i 10M i erS paying not Iess than £50 a vpar in rent. It gave 
the people some influence over a corrupt 'representative govern 
tWrd, nf tho m b SS! nnin f £ S e ni neteenth century, fully two- 
™i n? e rt «? em ^ e 5 S ot J h ? House of Commons were appointed 
onPnlx .nl/ 2* * er mfl «ential persons. Seats in the House were 
th?k n P H m Si d f ^ongst the buyers and hribers of members was 
nrLVpjp ™f h ? e °F ge I IT '„ A furtner ^tension of the voting 
1884 IS* ilfi™ ad ? Reform Acts of 1867 < 1872 « 188 * 

npndi™ in «? 8 ?t A B < ll l for Manhood Suffrage is now (1913) 
Pending m the House of Commons 

Victoria was e b°orn K in nt 18^9 ^ f ° U1 ' th S ° n ° £ Ge0I ' ge IIL Ql,een 
t Afterwards Cardinal Newman. 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



235 



the Passionist. * * * He is a simple, holy man ; 
and withal gifted with remarkable powers. He does 
not know of my intentions ; but I mean to ask of him 
admission into the One Fold of Christ/'* Faberjlan- 
ning, Digby, Ward, Allies, Marshall, Dalgairns, the 
Marquis of Bute, and other eminent men followed his 
example; and during the thirty-five years following 
over 2000 of the master-intellects and the highest no- 
bility of England sought peace and truth in the One 
Fold so happily reached by Newman. 

The gaunt figure of famine visited Ireland in 1846, 
and in a few years over two millions of that faithful 
and sorely tried people took their way to the^silent 
tomb, or were scattered over the wide world. The 
great O'Connell died in 1847. Three years later Pope 
Pius IX. re-established the Catholic hierarchy in 
England, with Cardinal Wiseman at its head. "Cath- 
olic England," wrote the new Archbishop, "has been 
restored to its orbit in the ecclesiastical firmament 
from which its light had long vanished, and begins 
anew its course of regularly adjusted action round the 
centre of unity, the source of jurisdiction, of light, 
and of vigour." Protestant bigotry shouted itself 
hoarse; and the boundless fanaticism and big lungs 
of the Briton became the laughing-stock of the world. 
Parliament, in a fit of insanity, passed (1851) an act 
forbidding Catholic bishops to take titles from their 
sees, but it was never put in force. Nobody troubled 
about it, and many years afterwards (1871) it was 
quietly repealed. Trie Crimean War, resulting from 
the determination of England and France to assist 
Tnrkev against Russia, lasted nearly two years (1854- 
1856)'. The Indian Mutiny broke out in 1857, and 
was put down with great difficulty and much blood- 
shed. England was engaged in other smaller wars, 

* Apologia pro Vita Sua. 
16 



236 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

off and on, to the end of the century, The Anglican 
Church in Ireland was disestablished in 1869; and 
ten years later Pope Leo XIII. re-established the Cath- 
olic hierarchy in Scotland. 

2. The Nineteenth Century as an "Age of 
Progress" in Great Britain. — The nineteenth cen- 
tury was really an "age of progress" in Great Britain. 
In the early part of the century the social, religious, 
and political condition of the people was lamentable. 
They were crushed by taxation. Bread was taxed. The 
light of heaven was taxed by an impost on windows, 
and rather than pay it people shut out the sunlight to 
the great injury of health and comfort. Newspapers 
were taxed about seven cents a copy. The high price 
of soap from taxation made filth inevitable. Even 
salt was taxed to the extent of forty times its cost, and 
it was with much difficulty the toiling millions could 
obtain it. At the beginning of the century, it was esti- 
mated that a poor mechanic paid nearly half his 
scanty income to the government in direct and indi- 
rect taxation. One by one, however, those crying 
abuses were swept away by progressive legislation. 

The British criminal laws were savage, and were 
administered with brutal ferocity. In 1801 the law 
recognized two hundred and twenty-three capital 
crimes. Every rogue, great or small, was put to 
death. If a man thoughtlessly shot a rabbit, or cut 
down young trees, he was hanged; his punishment 
was the same as that of the murderer or the highway 
robber. But these needless cruelties were gradually 
abolished. In 1837 the list of capital offences was 
reduced to seven. 

A general coarseness of manners prevailed. Pro- 
fane swearing was the constant practice of gentlemen. 
Even ladies swore orally and in their letters. The 
Protestant chaplain cursed the sailors, because it 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



237 



seemed to make them more attentive to his sermon. 
Lawyers swore at the bar. Judges swore on the bench. 
The king swore incessantly. Thus when the "head of 
the Anglican Church" and the "first gentleman in 
Europe" wished to express approval of the weather, of 
a handsome horse, or of a dinner which he had en- 
joyed, he supported his royal word by a profane oath. 
Among high and low, this coarseness was deplorable. 
Conversation was stained with wickedness, and society 
clothed itself with cursing as with a garment. The 
accession of Queen Victoria, however, brought about 
a much-needed change; and both manners and con- 
versation have since greatly improved. 

England had fallen into an abyss of ignorance in 
spite of the boasted "Keformation." Education was 
as far advanced in the reign of Henry VIII. as in 
that of George III. At the beginning of the nine- 
teenth century, England had only about 3,300 public 
and private schools. Fifty years later they numbered 
45,000; but it was only in 1870 that the work of 
public instruction began with real earnestness. In 
1837 there were only 58 persons in every 100 who 
were able to sign their names to the marriage-register ; 
in 1876 the number had risen to 81 in every 100, and 
is steadily growing. 

It was not until 1807 that gas was first used to light 
the streets of London. When the battle of Waterloo 
was fought it took the despatches three days to reach 
the English capital. But soon the steamboat* the 
railway^ and the telegraphl came, and the world 

* First successfully used in 1807 by Robert Fulton on the 
Hudson River, and soon after introduced into Great ovmm. 

f A railway from Liverpool to Manchester was formally opened 
for traffic in 1830. . . 1Q4 . Thp ftv ^ t 

i Morse's telegraph came into practical use in 1844 clLte ln 
successful submarine cable was laid betw een ^1 and C a . 
1851. The first successful Atlantic cable, connecting the Old ana 
New Worlds, was laid in 1858. 



238 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

moved as it never did before. At the beginning of 
the century the printing-press was still a rude ma- 
chine, able to throw off no more than 150 copies an 
hour.* To-day a machine, driven by steam, is fed 
with huge rolls of paper, and gives out newspapers, 
cut and folded, at the rate of from 1:0,000 to 100,000 
copies an hour. The postage-stamp dates from 1840. 

At the beginning of the century the human hand 
performed nearly all the work thai was done. Now 
machinery sews our clothing, reaps the fields, threshes 
the grain, moves the steam-locomotive at a mile a 
minute, and drives the majestic steamer across tin 4 
Atlantic in less than a week. Chemistry, physiology, 
medicine, and all the natural and physical sciences 
have made magnificent advances. 

"One cannot but feel how fortunate/' says TTcnry 
Eeed, "how providential it was thai the wonderful re- 
sults of physical science which this [the nineteenth] 
century has witnessed were not accomplished in the 
last [the eighteenth] century, at a time when a low 
state of religious opinion was prevailing, when scepti- 
cism was dominant in literature: for at such a time 
the victories of science over the powers of the material 
universe, instead of raising our sense of the Creator's 
power, and inspiring that humility which true science 
ever cherishes the more deeply at every advance it 
makes— instead of this, an age of unbelief, whose 
literature had divorced itself from revelation, would 
have been ready to use the results of science to decoy 
men into that insidious atheism which substitutes 
Nature for God, and would have entangled our spir- 
itual nature in the meshes of materialism. 



ftf*i»i°i m tSj dS t te A l the Mention of printing down to the close 
printin|-press almost no improvements made on the 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



239 



"The truest cultivation of science and the truest 
cultivation of literature in our day have shown this 
harmony, that alike for the scientific and the literary 
study of man and nature — for the naturalist, for in- 
stance, and the poet — there is needed the same hum- 
ble, willing, dutiful inquiry, a power of recipiency as 
well as of search. The man of science, and the poet, 
equally, will miss the truth, if either the one or the 
other grows to deal boldly with nature, instead of 
reverently following her guidance; if he seals his 
heart against her secret influences ; if he has a theory 
to maintain, a solution which shall not be disturbed ; 
and once possessed of this false cipher, he reads amiss 
all the golden letters around him."* 

3. The English Literature of the Nineteenth 
Century, and so^ie of the Agents that Influ- 
enced It. — The nineteenth century greatly enriched 
English literature. It was a period of noted intel- 
lectual activity and bold, original investigation in 
Great Britain. Its history, of course, throws much 
light on its literature. In its early years we trace the 
dark, stormy influence of the French Eevolution and 
the conquering career of Xapoleon — events that 
stirred the mind of Europe and left their impression 
on English letters. The poetry of Byron — the "Na- 
poleon of the realms of rhyme" — is a true reflection of 
that wild and warlike period. Much that was then 
Written is unhappily tinged by the prevailing coarse- 
ness, skepticism, and indelicacy of the times. The 
efforts that finally produced Catholic emancipation 
gave birth to the' fiery, splendid, and powerful elo- 
quence of Grattan, Shell, 0' Connelly and others, and 
aroused the strong genius of Bishop Doyle, and the 

* Lectures on English Literature. 

t The productions of those Irish writers are noticed in Book 
HI, 



240 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



keen, witty mind of Sydney Smith. For better or 
worse, German literature, more than that of any other 
nation, greatly influenced the British intellect during 
the early years of the nineteenth century. 'That in- 
fluence is most distinctly traceable in the writings of 
Coleridge, and especially in those of Thomas Carlyle. 
The religious movement which gave Xrwtnan, Falter, 
Manning, and so many bright, noble spirits to the 
Catholic Church has a rich literature of its own. 

But infidelity and materialism profanely invaded 
the domain of both science and literature. The ant, 
snail, frog, and ape were as eagerly studied and mis- 
read as if each had a boon or a revelation to confer 
upon the whole human race. The soul of man was 
neglected, but his body was honored w ith patient and 
minute investigation. Cod was ignored. 'The earth 
was asked to bear false witness against its Almighty 
Creator. There was such an abundance <d' profound 
babble, "scientific" lies, and blasphemous nonsense, 
that it grew unfashionable to "read sermons in 
stones," or express a belief in everlasting punishment. 
Such gifted men as Darwin, Huxley, Tyndall, and 
Spencer set themselves to the work of teaching a false 
philosophy, degrading to man and hostile to God and 
the Christian religion. The same false and pernicious 
principles were carried into general literature by such 
able writers as Mill, Buel-Je, and "George Eliot." 
English literature was cursed with a growing pagan 
element. This was an age of intellectual pride, but 
the repulsive pride which attacks truth inspires no 
kind feeling. It is the spirit of Lucifer. It deserves 
nothing but scorn and punishment. "I believe." savs 
Buskin, "the first test of a truly great man is humil- 
ity," But humility is a virtue almost unknown in 



HTBTETEEKTH CENTURY, 



Ml 



English letters, which for over three centuries have 
been pride-stricken, filled with falsehood, and in a 
state of revolt against the truth. 

Another feature is quite noteworthy. British big- 
otry and anti-Catholic fanaticism, it need hardly be 
said, have largely found expression in print. Nor was 
the nineteenth century an exception. During its early 
portion England was overflowing with intolerance, 
and every branch of literature was pervaded by an ig- 
norant and malignant spirit of hatred towards the 
Catholic religion Even the school-books on gram- 
mar, history, geography , logic and rhetoric were pressed 
into the service of falsehood and fanaticism. Picking 
up a school-dictionary, issued about 1820, we turn 
over a few leaves and read : "Anti-Christ, one who op- 
poses Christ — the Pope/' Nor was this miserable 
teaching without its fruits. "When I was young," 
says Cardinal Newman, "and after I was grown up, I 
thought the Pope to be Antichrist. At Christmas, 
1824-5, I preached a sermon to that effect."* Pulpits 
rang with abuse of the Pope from one end of the 
year to the other. The blind led the blind, and Eng- 
land was full of brutal, blinding bigotry. Even such 
men as Sir Walter Scott in his Waverley Novels, Ma- 
caulay and Hallam in their Histories f and other 
works, and Archbishop Whately in his Elements of 
Logic could not rise above the narrow spirit of anti- 
Catholic intolerance. Happily, there is now less to 
complain of. The doors of the Universities of Ox- 
ford an d Cambridge were opened to Catholics in 

* Apologia. . . 

t It may be stated, once for all, that there is not a single 
British Protestant historian who does not in some way bear false 
witness against Catholics and the Catholic Church ; but whether 
this systematic injustice is to be attributed to invincible 
ignorance or invincible intolerance in the writers it would indeed 
be hard to conjecture. English history is crammed with false- 
hood, and Cobbett has bluntly said that it contains more lies 
than all the other books in the world. 



242 LESSOXS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



1871; and, on the whole, English letters are marked 
by a more just and generous spirit towards the ancient 
faith. 

The first thirty or forty years of the nineteenth cen- 
tury constitute one of the great creative periods in 
English literature; and, as is usual during Buch pe- 
riods, poetry rose in popularity, and held the suprem- 
acy. It was a time of transition from the cold, artifi- 
cial formalism of the eighteenth century to something 
more warm, hearty, and natural. The Romantic Move- 
ment was then at its height. The names of Scott, 
Byron, Moore, Coir ridge, Campbell, Wordsworth, 
Shelley, and Keats belon<r to this period. Later years 
are represented by Mrs. Browning, Miss Procter, Rob- 
ert Browning, Tennyson, and Swinburne. 

Prose had a growth that was truly marvellous. Tt 
covered immense fields in fiction and periodical litera- 
ture, not to mention other departments of letters. 
Scott's Waverley Novels and tlx' works of Dickens, 
Thackeray, Meredith, and other writers of fiction 
would, in themselves, make a large library. 

As to British periodical literature, it may he said 
that its size and variety baffle description. At its two 
extremes stand the cjiiarterly and the daily. The 
Edinburgh Review, the oldest of the quarterlies, was 
started in 1802 by Sydney Smith. Francis Jeffrey, and 
a few able young men. it was followed bv The Quar- 
terly Review (1809), The Westminster Review (1824), 
The Dublin Review* ( 1836), and some others. Among 
the chief monthlies were the Gentleman's Magazine 
(1731), the oldest of its class; Blackwood's Maga- 
zine (1817), Frasers Magazine (1830) ; and of later 
growth were Macmillans Magazine (1859), The 



* One of the chief organs of the Catholics of Great Britain. 



NINETEENTH CENTURY, 



243 



Comhill (1860), The Month* The Fortnightly Re- 
view (1865), The Contemporary Review (1866), and 
The Nineteenth Century (1877). Among the most 
prominent of the British iveeldies were The Satur- 
day Review, The Athenceum (1828), The Spectator 
(1828), and The Tablet;* while among the principal 
dailies we may note The Times, The Daily News, and 
The Daily Telegraph — all published in London and 
having a large circulation. 

The nineteenth century produced some of the 
greatest historians in English literature, in such men 
as Lingard, Hallam, Macaulay, Alison, Grote, Car- 
lyle, Stubbs : Green, Freeman, Bagehot, Gair drier, and 
Lechy. The fields of art, science, criticism, politics, 
philosophy, biography, and theology were all ably and 
ardently cultivated. The chief names in this connec- 
tion are Rusl'in, Brewster, Hamilton, Faraday, Whs- 
well, Darwin, Huxley, Tyndall, Spencer, Mivart, Jef- 
frey, Sydney Smith, Cobbett, Lockhart, Wiseman, 
Faber, Newman, Manning, Marshall, Dalgairns,Ward, 
and Harper. 



LESSON" I. 

WILLIAM WORDSWORTH. DIED 1850. 

Chief works: (1) Descriptive Sketches. 

(2) Lyrical Ballads (with Coleridge). 

(3) The Borderers (a tragedy). 

(4) The Excursion. 

(5) The Prelude. 

(fi> The White Doe of Ri/lstone. 
(7) Odes, Sonnets, and Short Poems. 

1. Who is generally regarded as the greatest poet of nature 
that English literature has produced? 

William Wordsworth . 



* Catholic, 



244 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



2. Is there anything remarkable about his life? 

No; he led on the whole a quiet, uneventful life. 
Born at Cockermouth, in Cumberland, in 1770, he 
graduated at Cambridge in 1791, travelled in France, 
Switzerland, Germany, Italy, and Scotland, and set- 
tled first at Grasmere, and finally at Ryda] Mount, in 
Westmoreland, where he spent the last 31 years of 
his life. He was appointed poet-laureate in 1843, in 
succession to Eobert Southev, who had held that office 
from 1813. 

3. Which is Wordsworth's chief poem? 

The Excursion, which was meant to be the second 
part of a great "philosophical Poem, containing views 
of Man, Nature, and Society, and to be entitled The 
Recluse; as having for its principal subject the sen- 
sations and opinions of a poet living in retirement/' 
Only a fragment of the first part of The Recluse was 
written, and the third part was no more than planned. 
The Prelude, a poem in 14 books, containing 7,883 
lines of blank verse, was intended to be preparatory 
to The Recluse. 

4. Of what does The Excursion treat, and what is its extent? 

It discusses the deepest questions concerning God, 
Man, Nature, and Society. Written in blank verse, it 
consists of 9 books, which contain 8,850 lines. 

5. What are the merits and defects of The Excursion? 

It is a noble poem, containing many beautiful and 
even sublime passages. It repels the 'average reader, 
however, by its great length and a certain monotony. 
On the other hand, to the man of philosophic mind it 
is a continual joy. 

6. How does Wordsworth rank as a writer of sonnets? 

His reputation in this respect is of the highest ; he 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



245 



has written some of the finest sonnets in the English 
language.* 

7. What is The White Doe of Eylstone? 

It is a narrative poem, in seven cantos, dealing 
with a tradition connected with the "Bising of the 
North" in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, 

8. Name some of the more remarkable of Wordsworth's Odes 
and Short Poems? 

The Ode to Duty: Ode on Intimations of Immor- 
tality: Yarrow Un visited; We Are Seven; To the 
Cuckoo; The Solitary Reaper; Lines Written a Few 
Miles Above T intern Abbey— all of great beauty. 

9. What verdict may fairly he passed on Wordsworth? 

Although perhaps wanting in the fire and force of 
highest genius, Wordsworth was a true poet and a 
great one. 

LESSON 1L 

SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE. DIED 1834. 

Chief works : (1) The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. 

(2) Christ abel. 

(3) Dramas. 

(4) Odes and Sonnets. 

(5) Lectures on Shakespeare. 

(6) Biographia Literaria. 

(7) Aids to Reflection. 

10. Who was Samuel Taylor Coleridge? 

Poet, philosopher, critic, journalist, and dramatist , 

* The one entitled Scorn not the Sonnet is a happy and sug- 
gestive effort : 

"Scorn not the Sonnet ! Critic, you have frowned, 
Mindless of its .lust honours. With this key 
Shakespeare unlocked his heart ; the melody 
Of this small lute gave ease to Petrarch's wound ; 
A thousand times this pipe did Tasso sound ; 
With it Camoens soothed an exile's grief ; 
The Sonnet glittered a gay myrtle-leaf 
Amid the cypress with which Dante crowned 
His visionary brow ; a glow-worm lamp, 
It cheered mild Spenser, called from Faery-land 
To struggle through dark ways: and when a damp 
Fell round the path of Milton, in his hand 
The Thing became a trumpet, whence he blew 
Soul-animating strains, — alas, too few ! 



246 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



Coleridge was one of the great literary geniuses of the 
early part of the nineteenth century. 

11. State briefly the facts of his life. 

He was born in Devonshire, England, in 17?2, was 
educated at Chrises Hospital and Cambridge Univer- 
sity, which he left without taking a degree; enlisted 
as a dragoon and was bought out after a few months ; 
married ; wrote for the papers ; lectured ; travelled in 
Germany and Italy; and finally, in 1816, settled at 
Highgate, near London, where he spent the remaining 
18 years of his life. 

12. What is Coleridge's best-known poem? 

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a weird sea-tale 
told more or less in the simple style of the old ballads. 
It was first published in 1798, along with Words- 
worth's Lyrical Ballads. 

13. What is Christabel? 

It is a noble fragment of a poem, wild and mystic 
in its character. Its diction is delightful, and it glit- 
ters with exquisite imagery. 

14. Which are Coleridge's dramas? 

Remorse; Zapohja; The Fall of Robespierre; The 
Piccolomini; and The Death of Wallenstein. The last 
mentioned two, which, though separate plays, deal 
with one subject, are translations from the German of 
Schiller. 

15. What are the merits of Coleridge's Lectures on Shakes- 
peare and the Biographia Literaria? 

They show the most masterly efforts in the higher 
criticism. 

16. What has been the effect of his Aids to Reflection? 

It has helped to spread and intensify religious 
thought. 

17. Name some of Coleridge's more remarkable short poems. 

Ode to the Departing Year; Dejection, an Ode; 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



247 



Hymn Before Sunrise in the Vale of Chamouni; The 
Pains of Sleep; Youth and Age; France; and Kubla 
Khan, a fragment. Each of these is, in its own way, 
a masterpiece. 

18. What is Coleridge's reputation as a poet? 

He rightly takes his place among the great makers 
of English verse. 

"As a poet Coleridge's own place is safe. His niche in the 
great gallery of English poets is secure. Of no one can it be 
more emphatically said that he was 'of imagination all com- 
pact.' His peculiar touch of melancholy tenderness may pre- 
vent his attaining a high place in popular estimation. He does 
not possess the fiery pulse and humaneness of Burns, but the 
exquisite perfection of his metre and the subtle alliance of his 
thought and expression must always secure for him the warmest 
admiration of true lovers of poetic art. * * * Christdbel and 
the Ancient Mariner have so completely taken possession of the 
highest place, that it is needless to do more than allude to them. 
The supernatural has never received such treatment as in these 
two wonderful productions of his genius, and though the first of 
them remains a torso, it is the noblest torso in the gallery of 
English literature" (G. D. Boyle, in Encyclopaedia Britannica). 

"Coleridge was not only the greatest intellectual giant that 
England has seen, since Bacon sank in disgrace, but the greatest 
word-artist since Shakespeare laid aside his pen, and took to 
speculations." — Canon Sheehan, in Parerga. 



LESSON" III. 

ROBERT SOUTHEY. 1774-1843. 

Chief works: (1) Thalaoa. 

(2) The Curse of Kehama. 

(3) Ma doc. 

(4) Roderick, the Last of the Goths. 

(5) Life of Nelson. 

(6) Lives of British Admirals. 

(7) History of Brazil. 

(8) History of the Peninsular War. 

19. Who was Robert Southey? 

He was an industrious writer of verse and prose 
during the first 43 years of the nineteenth century. 
His literary output reached 109 volumes, in addition 
to about 150 articles contributed to magazines. 



248 



LESSOXS IX ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



20. To what position of literary dignity did he attain ? 

He was appointed poet-laureate in 1813. 

21. Which is his best poem? 

That distinction belongs perhaps to The Curse of 
Eehama. 

22. Of what does The Curse of Kehama treat? 

It is a tale in rhyme of a Hindu rajah who obtains 
and abuses supernatural power. Some of the scenes 
and incidents are very vividly described. 

23. Was Southey greater as a writer of prose than as a 
writer of verse ? 

He undoubtedly was. It must be remembered that 
in the early part of the nineteenth century poetry was 
in more demand than prose. Southey himself tells 
us that, in order to earn money, he put in verse "what 
would otherwise have been better written in prose." 

24. What is his best prose work? 

His Life of Nelson, which still ranks as a standard 
popular biography. 

LESSON IV. 

SIR WALTER SCOTT. DIED 1832. 

Chief works: (1) Poems. 

(2) The Waverley Novels. 

25. Who was Sir Walter Scott? 

# He was one of the greatest literary geniuses of the 
nineteenth century — a man whose pen added to the 
riches of English poetry, and who stands unsurpassed 
in the field of prose fiction. 

26. Give an outline of his early life. 

He was born at Edinburgh in 1771, and spent his 
childhood in Roxburghshire, surrounded by pictur- 
esque ruins and historic localities — famous in war 
and verse— which failed not to leave an enduring 
impression on his mind, He finished his education at 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 249 

the university of his native city, and was admitted to 
the bar, practising as an advocate until his appoint- 
ment (1799) as Sheriff of Selkirkshire, and subse- 
quently (1806) as principal clerk of the Court of 
Session. 

27. How did Scott first become famous in letters— as a noet or 
as a novelist? y 

As a poet. 

28. Which was his first great poem? 

The Lay of the Last Minstrel, published in 1805. 
It was the first of a series of enchanting tales in verse. 

29. Of all Scott's poems, mention the three that may be con- 
sidered his best. 

The Lay of the Last Minstrel, Marmion, and The 
Lady of the Lake* 

30. In what new department of literature — which he may- 
be said to have discovered or created — did Scott begin to labor 
in 1814? t 

Historical romance. 

31. Which was the pioneer of the new works that now came 
from his busy, fertile pen? 

Waverley, a tale of the romantic rising of the 
.Scottish clans for Prince Charles Edward in 1745. 

32. What followed during the next seventeen years? 

Twenty-eight other works of varied degrees of ex- 
cellence. They are called the Waverley Novels from 
the name of the first number of the series. 



* "The Lay is generally considered as the most natural and 
original, Marmion as the most powerful and splendid, and The 
Lady of the Lake as the most interesting, romantic, picturesque, 
and graceful." — Lockhart. 

t Some years after this, he wrote to a friend : "In truth. I 
have given up poetry. * * * I felt the prudence of giving way 
before the more forcible and powerful genius of Byron." But In 
the new path which he struck out, Scott stood alone — head and 
shoulders above all. 



250 LESSONS 1ST ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



33. Into what two classes may the Waverley Novels be di- 
vided? 

The historical and the personal. Those of the first 
class picture some real persons and events of history — 
chiefly Scottish or English. Those of the second class 
deal principally with private life or family legends. 

34. Had Scott the true idea of historic fiction? 

He had; his genius happily called up in living ar- 
ray, not merely the names, but the character, manners, 
thoughts, and passions of past ages. 

35. What misfortune befell this gifted man in the midst of 
apparent prosperity? 

In 1826 he suddenly found that, through the fail- 
ure of two publishing houses with which lie was con- 
nected, he was a bankrupt to the amount of over half 
a million dollars. 

36. What did he now do? 

He bore himself bravely in the midst of this utter 
ruin; and, though fifty-five years of age, he at once 
set to work with his well-worn pen to pay off the vast 
debt. He nearly succeeded, but the effort killed him. 

37. What is your opinion of his style? 

Though easy and animated, it cannot be said that 
Scott is always careful and correct in his language. 
He is too diffuse. But he is a master of the pictur- 
esque — a great painter in words.* 



"In the historical novel, Sir Walter Scott — the inventor of the 
style— remains imapproached." — Thomas Arnold. 

"It is the fashion, among writers of a certain class, to speak 
of Scott as superseded by Thackeray and Dickens. In a measure 
this is true ; every writer, no matter how great, is crowded out 
more or less by his successors. Not even Shakespeare, Dante, 
and Goethe have been exceptions to this rule. But it may well 
be pondered, whether, years from now, when the final muster- 
roll of English novelists is called, Scott's name will not head 
the list."— J. 8. Hart. 

"Scott's fame as a poet was eclipsed by his reputation as a 
novelist ; and the appearance of a star of greater magnitude drew 



* It must be added, with regret, that Scott is not always fair 
or generous in his treatment of Catholics and their religion. 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



2ol 



from him, by degrees, the popularity he had so long engrossed 
let we venture to hazard an opinion, that if it be possible for 
either to be forgotten his poems will outlive his prose ; and 
that Waverley and Ivanhoe will perish before Marmion and The 
Lady of the Lake. We can find no rare and valuable quality in 
the former that we may not find in the latter. A deeply interest- 
ing and exciting story, glorious and true pictures of scenery 
fine and accurate portraits of character, clear and impressive 
accounts of ancient customs, details of battles— satisfying to the 
fancy yet capable of enduring the sternest test of truth— are 
to be found in the one class as well as in the other." — S C Hall 



LESSOR V. 

LORD BYRON. DIED 1824. 

Chief works : (1) Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. 

(2) The Prisoner of Chillon. 

(3) Don Juan. 

(4) Dramas. 

38. Who was Lord Byron] 

Lord Byron,* the English poet who, in his own 
day, enjoyed the highest reputation, was an erratic 
genius of great energy, originality, and depth of feel- 
ing. 

39. Tell us something of his career. 

Byron was born in London in 1788, and had the 
misfortune of belonging to a bad family, f He derived 
little benefit from his stay at Cambridge, for he was 
a careless, headstrong student. On the death of his 
great-uncle in 1798, Byron succeeded to the peerage. 
His marriage (1815) proved unhappy, and he left 
England in 1816 — never to see it again. The close of 
his wild, unhappy life, however, is gilded by a ray of 
sunset glory. He went to aid the struggling Greeks, 
and died in the land of Homer and Demosthenes. 



* His full name was George Gordon Noel Byron. 

t His father was a villain: his grand-uncle a murderer: his 
mother a woman of violent temper; and himself, with all this 
legacy, a man of powerful passions. If evil is in any degree 
to be palliated because it is hereditary, those who most con 
demn it in the abstract may still look with compassionate 
leniency upon the career of Lord Byron. — Copp€e. 



17 



252 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

40. Which is his chief poem? 

Childe* Harold's Pilgrimage. 

41. In what does this work abound? 

It abounds in exquisite pen-pictures of man, art, 
nature, and society.f It was inspired by the poet's 
travels. 

42. Mention one of the best of his many short poems. 

The Prisoner of Chillon, a painful story of touch- 
ing tenderness. 

43. Did Byron try his pen at dramatic writing? 

He did, but without much success. Byron had not 
the power of going out of himself, and his dramas are 
only dramas in form.% 

44. What was the last famous work that came from his pen, 
and how must it be judged? 

The poem of Don Juan. It exhibits fine descrip- 
tive power and a wonderful mastery over language; 
but, in spite of all its beauties, it is grossly immoral, 
and the most dangerous of Byron's productions. 

45. What may be said of Byron as a teacher? 

He was, unhappily, a bad teacher, who wrote some 
of the worst lessons contained in poetry. So long as 



* Childe is an old English word signifying a knight. 
j Childe Harold contains the fine passage known as the "Ad- 
dress to the Ocean." We give the opening stanza : 

"Roll on, thou deep and dark blue Ocean — roll ! 
Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain ; 
Man marks the earth with ruin — his control 
Stops with the shore; upon the watery plain 
I he wrecks are all thy deed, nor doth remain 
wi s w of man ' s ravage, save his own, 
When, for a moment, like a drop of rain, 
*f_e sinks into thy depths with bubbling groan — 
Without a grave, unknelled, uncoffined, and unknown." 
It is worthy of remark that Childe Harold legins and ends 
with the ocean. It is written in the Spenserian stanza, and, 
+ 2fi m at least ' res embles The Faerie Queene. 
+ His play of Fardanapalus, however, on account of Its scenic 
effects, is still occasionally produced. 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



253 



truth is beautiful and virtue precious, so long must 
the warning finger of condemnation be raised against 
the writings of Lord Byron. Danger lurks under the 
leaves of his works.* 

46. What has been observed of his style and merits as a liter- 
ary artist? 

He possesses a style of remarkable vigor and great 
felicity of expression; but the beauty and sublimity 
of his poems are confined to passages. Much of his 
work is second-rate. 



LESSON VI. 

THOMAS CAMPBELL. DIED 1844. 

Chief works : (1) The Pleasures of Hope. 

(2) Gertrude of Wyoming. 

(3) Songs. 

47. Give a brief outline of the career of Thomas Campbell. 

Campbell was born at Glasgow, Scotland, in 1777, 
and was educated in the university of that city.f His 
first poem made him famous. He travelled for a time, 



* He could not even pen an epitaph on his dog without giving 
vent to his black hatred of mankind. When his large New- 
foundland died, he raised a monument, and wrote an inscription 
which ends thus : 

"To mark a friend's remains these stones arise ; 
I never knew but one — and here he lies." ! 

"It was the frequent boast of this poet," writes Hall, "that he 
scorned and hated humankind ; and out of this feeling, or this 
pretension, grew his labours to corrupt it. It was not alone 
against things held sacred by society that his spleen and venom 
were directed. He strove to render odious some of the best and 
purest men that ever lived ; and his attacks were not the 
momentary ebullitions of dislike, but the produce of deep and 
settled hatred — the more bitter in proportion as the cause was 
small." 

"His complete works," says an American writer, "ought never 
to be purchased ; and we may feel proud not to be acquainted 
with them, except by extracts and beauties." 

t Campbell, though born in Glasgow, was a Highlander bo tn 
in blood and nature : and his genius is most attractive in those 
poems in which his loving Celtic nature has free play.— Arnold. 



254 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



but his life was otherwise quiet and uneventful. In 
1805 the Government granted him a pension of £200 
a year. He was one of the founders of the London 
University, and was Lord Eector of Glasgow Univer- 
sity, 1827-1829. He edited the New Monthly Maga- 
zine from 1820 to 1831. 

48. What was his first poem? 

The Pleasures of Hope, which was given to the 
world before Campbell was twenty-two years of age. 
It is a brilliant production, exquisite in language, and 
lovely and sublime in the subjects selected.* It is 
written in heroic couplets. 

49. What is Gertrude of Wyoming? 

It is a beautiful poem, written in the Spenserian 
stanza, and embodying a sad, touching tale ; but it is 
true neither to the nature of the country nor to the 
Indian character.! 

50. In what branch of poetry has Campbell attained the 

highest excellence? 

As a lyric poet. 



* Among others, it contains the often-quoted lines : 
"Like angel-visits, few and far between," 

and 

" 'Tis distance lends enchantment to the view." 

f The scenes, characters, and incidents of this poem, as is 
well known, are laid in the ill-fated Valley of Wyoming, on the 
Susquehanna, opposite the present town of Wilkesbarre. in 
Pennsylvania. The savage massacre that suggested it took place 
during the American Revolution in the summer of 1778, and 
was the work of Tories and Indians, commanded by Colonel 
Butler and the Indian chief. Brant, "Colonel Butler." writes 
Ilassard, "defeated the small bodv of soldiers which attempted to 
oppose him (July 3), and compelled the rest of the people who 
had taken refuge in Fort Wyoming to surrender, on promise of 
security to life and property. Butler, however, was unable to 
control his savage allies. They massacred about 400 prisoners 
and civilians, burned the houses, and destroved the crops ; and 
the .survivors, mostly women and children, fled to the mountains, 
where many of them perished." — History of the United States. 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 255 



51. Name some of his most noted lyrics and short poems. 

The Exile of Erin;* Ye Mariners of England;^ 
The Battle of the Baltic; Hohenlinden ;J O'Connor's 
Child; and Lord Ullins Daughter, 

52. Sum up Campbell's good qualities as a poet. 

Campbell had the true poetic fire. He possessed, in 



* It is said that he wrote this touching poem in consequence 
of meeting at Hamburg an Irish rebel. Anthony MacCann, who 
had made good his escape after the failure of the rebellion of 
1798. The Exile of Erin consists of five stanzas, of which the 
following is the first : 

"There came to the beach a poor exile of Erin, 
The dew on his thin robe was heavy and chill ; 
For his country he sighed, when at twilight repairing 
To wander alone by the wind-beaten hill. 
But the day star attracted his eye's sad devotion, 
For it rose o'er his own native isle of the ocean, 
Where once, in the fire of his youthful emotion. 
He sang the bold anthem of Erin go bragh I" 

t Ye Mariners of England is in four stanzas. We give the 
first : 

"Ye mariners of England ! 
That guard our native seas ; 
Whose flag has braved, a thousand years. 
The battle and the breeze ! 
Your glorious standard launch again, 
To match another foe ! 
And sweep through the deep. 
While the stormy winds do blow ; 
While the battle rages loud and long, 
And the stormy winds do blow." 

% While travelling in Europe in 1800, Campbell witnessed the 
engagement which gave Ratisbon to the French. He did not see 
the battle of Hohenlinden; nevertheless his lines on the event 
form a ringing battle-song. 

"By torch and trumpet fast arrayed, 

Each horseman drew his battle blade, 

And furious every charger neighed 

To join the dreadful revelry. 
"Then shook the hills with thunder riven, 

Then rushed the steed to battle driven, 

And, louder than the bolts of heaven, 

Far flashed the red artillery- 
****** 

"Few, few shall part where many meet ! 
The snow shall be their winding-sheet, 
And everv turf beneath their feet 
Shall be a soldier's sepulchre." 



256 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



the highest degree, what we call beauty of style.* He 
did not write much, but the exquisite finish of his 
poems is admirable, and some of his lyrics seem to be 
absolutely perfect. 



LESSON VII. 

PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY. DIED 1822. 

Chief works: (1) Alastor, or the Spirit of Solitude. 

(2) Rosalind and Helen. 

(3) The Revolt of Islam. 

(4) Julian and Maddalo. 

(5) The Mask of Anarchy. 

(6) The Witch of Atlas. 

(7) Dramas. 

(8) Odes. 

53. State briefly the facts of Shelley's life. 

He was born in Sussex, England, in 1792; was 
educated at Eton, and jDassed on to Oxford, whence he 
was expelled; was married at 19; three years later 
eloped with another lady, whom, on the suicide of his 
first wife in 1816, he married; in 1818 he left Eng- 
land for ever; and in 1822 he was drowned in the Bay 
of Spezzia. 

54. What was his first great poem? 

Alastor, or the Spirit of Solitude, published in 
1816, by which he took his stand as a poet alongside 
Coleridge and Wordsworth. 

55. What splendid poem followed? 

Laon and Cythna, afterwards renamed The Revolt 



* As an instance, take his first two stanzas "To the Rainbow 
"Triumphal arch, that fill'st the sky 
When storms prepare to part, 
I ask not proud Philosophy 
To teach me what thou art. 

"Still seem, as to my childhood's sight, 
A midway station given 
For happy spirits to alight 

Betwixt the earth and heaven." 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 257 

of Islam. Published in 1818 and written in the Spen- 
serian stanza, it is distinguished for almost faultless 
workmanship. 

56. How does Shelley rank as a lyric poet? 

He is among the most celebrated lyric poets in the 
English language. 

57. Name some of his best-known shorter lyric poems. 

Ode to the West Wind; Ode to Liberty; Hymn to 
Intellectual Beauty; Adonais, a monody on the death 
of Keats; The Cloud; The Skylark; The Triumph of 
Life. 

58. What are the titles of Shelley's dramas? 

The Cenci; Prometheus Unbound; and Hellas. 

59. Was Shelley a really great poet? 

One of the greatest that England has produced. 



"Among all English poets there is but one who can be named 
with the poet who recognised in Coleridge his master as a 
lyrist. It is not in degree, but in kind, that they differ from all 
others. No man ever born into the world can be named in the 
same breath with Shakespeare ; but he was not of the same order 
as they. Coleridge and Shelley stand by themselves alone. The 
genius of Coleridge at its highest rose above the genius of any 
other poet on record in the special and distinctive qualities of 
the very highest poetry — creative imagination and coequal ex- 
pression of the thing conceived. But in these qualities Shelley 
stands next to him, and not far off — either in power of con- 
ception, or in mastery of such verse as includes and combines 
the respective gifts of the painter, the musician, and the 
sculptor. And Coleridge, in a life more than twice the length of 
his disciple's, did not a twentieth part of the good work done 
by Shelley." — Algernon Charles Swinburne, in Chambers's 
Cyclopaedia of English Literature, 



258 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



LESSON VIII. 

JOHN KEATS. DIED 1821. 

Chief works: fl) Endymion. 

(2) Isabella. 

(3) Hyperion. 

(4) The Eve of St. Agnes. 

(5) The Eve of St. Mark (a fragment). 

(6) Lamia. 

(7) La Belle Dame Sans Merci. 

(8) Dramas. 

(9) Otfes and Sonnets. 

60. Give a brief account of the life of John Keats. 

He was the son of a stable-keeper ; was born in Lon- 
don in 1795; became a medical student, but aban- 
doned his profession in order to devote himself to lit- 
erature ; was attacked by consumption ; travelled to 
Italy in search of health ; and died at Eome before he 
was 26 years old. 

61. What is the nature of Endymion? 

It is a mythological romance in four books, written 
in heroic couplets. It has many faults, but also many 
beauties. 

62. What is Isabella? 

It is a versified tale of unhappy love, in ottciva rime. 
It is not good as a narrative, but it displays much 
force of imagination. 

63. To what class of poetry does Hyperion belong? 

It was meant to be an epic in ten books, but it was 
never finished. Only three books were written when 
the author deliberately threw it aside. It is in blank 

verse. 

64. What is The Eve of St. Agnes? 

II is a beautiful narrative poem, in which Keats 
uses the Spenserian stanza to great advantage. 



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66. What is Lamia? 

It, too, is a narrative poem, of very vivid character, 
written in the same metre as Endymion 

66. What is La Belle Dame Sans Merci? 

It is a short ballad of weird tvpe, and is generally 
regarded as a work of great excellence. 

67. What dramas did Keats write? 

Otho the Great and King Stephen. The latter is 
only a fragment. 

68. How does Keats stand as a lyric poet? 

He stands deservedly high. 

69. Name some of his best-known lyrics. 

The Ode to a Grecian Urn; Ode to Autumn; Ode 
to a Nightingale;* Ode to Melancholy ; Fancy; and 
his Sonnet — On First Looking Into Chapman's 
Homer. 

70. What have you to say of Keats's position in literature ? 

He was a true poet, of fine sensibility, strong im- 
agination, great luxuriance of language, and a perfect 
ear for harmony. He was steadily advancing in his 
art, and, but for his untimely death, he probably 
would have done work that would rank him among 
the great masters of English poetry. 



"Keats, on high and recent authority, has been promoted to a 
place beside Shakespeare ; and it was long since remarked by 
some earlier critic of less note that as a painter of flowers his 
touch had almost a Shakespearean felicity, — recalling, a writer 
in our own day might have added, the hand of M. Fantin on can- 
vass. The faultless force and tne profound subtlety of tin's 
deep and cunning instinct for the absolute expression of abso 
lute natural beauty can hardly be questioned or overlooked ; and 
this is doubtless the one main distinctive gift or power which 
denotes him as a poet among all his equals, and gives him right 
to a rank for ever beside Coleridge and Shelley" (Algernon 
Charles Swinburne, in Encyclopaedia Britannica.) 



* "One of the final masterpieces of human work in all time 
and for all ages" (Swinburne, in Enc. Britt.). 



260 LESSONS IX ENGLISH LITERATURE, 



LESSOR IX. 

JANE AUSTEN. DIED 1817. 

Chief works: (1) Sense and Sensibility. 

(2) Pride and Prejudice. 

(3) Mansfield Park. 

(4) Emma. 

(5) Northanger Abbey. 

(6) Persuasion. 

CHARLES LAMB. DIED 1834. 

Chief works: (1) Poems. 

(2) Rosamund Gray (a romance >. 

(3) John Woodvil (a poetical drama). 

(4) Tales from Shakespeare (in collaboration 

with his sister, Mary Lamb). 

(5) Essays of EUa. 

(6) Last Essays of Ella. 

THOMAS DE QUINCEY. DIED 1859. 

Chief works : fl) Confessions of an Opium Eater. 
(2) Essays. 

71. Who was Jane Austen? 

She was one of the greatest women novelists whose 
works adorn English literature. After a placid life 
devoted to literature, she died of consumption at the 
age of 42. 

72. What was the general character of her works? 

She set herself deliberately to produce the pure do- 
mestic novel, and succeeded so admirably that she 
won high commendation from critics so different as 
Sir Walter Scott, Charlotte Bronte, Macaulay, and 
Edward Fitzgerald. 

73. Which of her works is generally considered her master- 
piece? 

Pride and Prejudice. 

74. What is the great charm of all her works? 

Their truth and simplicity* 



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£61 



75. By what works is Charles Lamb now best remembered! 

By his poem, The Old Familiar Faces, and espe- 
cially by the two series of the Essays of Elia. 

76. What is meant by the Essays of Elia? 

The first series was contributed to the London Mag- 
azine, and the initial paper was signed "Elia" : hence 
the title. The Essays of Elia charm us with the va- 
riety of their comments on men, things, and books, by 
their subtle humour, and by their unique style. 

77. On what is De Quincey's reputation based? 

On a long series of papers, which were in the first 
instance contributed to various periodicals, and which, 
when collected, filled fourteen volumes. 

78. What is the best known of his works? 
Confessions of an English Opium Eater; but many 

others, such as Suspiria de Profundis; The English 
Mail Coach; and The Vision of Sudden Death, are 
also famous. 

79. What is De Quincey's distinguishing characteristic? 
His superb English prose style. 



LESSON X. 

ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON. DIED 1892. 

Chief works : (1) The Princess; A Medley. 

(2) In Memoriam. 

(3) Maud: A Monodrama. 

(4) The Idylls of the King. 

(5) Ballads, Odes, Songs, Sonnets, and numer- 

ous short Poems. 

(6) Dramas. 

80. Who succeeded Wordsworth as poet laureate of England? 

Alfred Tennyson, who held that position from 1850 
to 1892. 

81. How long was Tennyson before the public as a poet? 

For fully sixty-five years, from 1827, when his first 
poems appeared^ until his death in 1892. 



262 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



82. How was he at first treated by the critics? 

Very badly; his Poems, chiefly Lyrical, of 1830, 
and his Poems of 1833 were savagely attacked. It 
was not until the publication of two volumes of Poems 
in 1842 that he received the recognition which was 
his due. 

83. What is The Princess? 

The Princess, published in 1847, is a pleasant poem, 
which touches with a light hand the subject of higher 
education for women. Through every page of it there 
runs a golden thread of delicate playfulness, or sug- 
gestive wisdom. It is noted for the exquisite lyrics 
which it introduces.* 

84. What remarkable poem did Tennyson write to commem- 
orate the untimely death of his friend, Arthur Henry Hallam, 
son of the famous historian? 

In Memoriam. 

85. What are the merits of this poem? 

It is considered one of Tennyson's most finished 
productions. He worked at it for over sixteen years, 



* Among these is the well-known Bugle Song: 

"The splendour falls on castle alls 
And snowy summits old in story: 
The long light shakes across the lakes, 
And the wild cataract leaps in glory. 
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying, 
Blow, bugle ; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying. 

"O hark, O hear ! how thin and clear, 
And thinner, clearer, farther going ! 
O sweet and far from cliff and scar 

The horns of Elfland faintly blowing! 
Blow, let us hear the purple glens replying : 
Blow, bugle ; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying 

"O love, they die in yon rich sky, 

They faint on hill or field or river : 
Our echoes roll from soul to soul, 
And grow for ever and for ever. 
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying. 
And answer, echoes, answer, dying, dying, dying." 



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263 



as, although young Hallam's death occurred in 1833, 
the poem was not published until 1850. It is made 
up of 133 separate lyrics, containing in all 724 stanzas 
of four lines each.* 

86. What is Maud? 

Maud, published in 1855, is a monodrama, in which 
is told the story of a lover who goes through various 
stages of mental disturbance, morbidity, ecstasy, an- 
ger, murder, insanity, and recovery, it was Tenny- 
son's favorite, but it is generally regarded as being 
rather melodramatic. 

87. What is Tennyson's greatest work? 

The twelve poems which form The Idylls of the 
King, on which he was engaged from 1859 to 1885. 
Here the poet revived with great success the old leg- 
ends of King Arthur, and made them a part of the 
living, current literature of England. f 

88. Where is much of Tennyson's best work to he found? 

In many of his shorter poems, such as LocJc&ley 
Hall; The Lotos-Eaters; The Lady of Shalott; Dora; 
and the exquisite little piece in sixteen lines known 
as Break, Break, Break. 



* The following stanza is often quoted : 
"I hold it true, whate'er befall ; 
I feel it. when I sorrow most ; 
'Tis better to have loved and lost 
Than never to have loved at all." 
f An Idyll, in the sense in which the word is used by Tenny- 
son, is a descriptive and narrative poem, written in an elevated 
and highly refined style. A goodly portion of the TdylU is a 
deliberate rendering into pure melodious verse of what was al- 
ready existent in another form. All poets, indeed, avail them- 
selves of the heritage of the past, and there are few poems <>1 
anv length that do not owe their origin to some story, event, or 
other circumstance outside of their author's mind. The idylls 
of the King are poetic renderings of the old Arthurian legends 
in great part from Le Morte D' Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory 
in part from Lady Charlotte Guest's Mabinogion. and in pari 
from less known sources as, for example, from Thomas Crorton 
Croker's Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland. 



264 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



89. Did Tennyson write many dramas? 

Seven: Queen Mary; Harold; The Falcon; The 
Cup; The Promise of May; Bechet; and The Fores- 
ters. Of these The Cup, Becket, and The Foresters 
had considerable success on the stage. 

90. What honour was conferred on Tennyson by Queen Vic- 
toria in 18841 

He was raised to the peerage as Baron Tennyson of 
Freshwater and Aldworth. 

91. When did Tennyson die? 

He died in his eighty-fourth year, on October 6, 
1892, and was buried by the nation in Westminster 
Abbey. 

"Let it never be forgotten, as one of his chief glories, that 
Alfred Tennyson, even in the first flush and fervour of his young 
manhood, never wrote an unclean line ; he treated the mysteries 
of love and passion with an exquisite reverence that was almost 
awe * * * All his life Alfred Tennyson maintained that noble 
reticence, that reserved emotion ; passionate as his poetic nature 
was, anything like impurity of expression was impossible to him, 
'because his heart was pure' " (Mary Brotherton, in Chambers's 
Cyclopedia of English Literature) . 



LESSOX XI. 

ROBERT BROWNING. DIED 1889. 

Chief works: (1) The Ring and the Book. 

(2) Numerous other Poems. 

(3) Dramas. 

92. Who was Eobert Browning? 

The son of a Bank of England clerk, he was born in 
London in 1812. He was one of the most prolific of 
poets, but for over thirty years his genius was unrec- 
ognized and his work was coldly received in England. 
Though some of his best poems and plays had ap- 
peared at intervals from 1833— -Pauline, 1833: Para- 
celsus, 1835; Strafford (a tragedy, acted in 1837); 



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866 



Bordello, 1840 ; Bells and Pomegranates, 1841-1846 ■ 
Dramatic Lyrics, 1845; Men and Women, 1855- Dra- 
matis Personal, 1864— it was not until the publication 
of The Ring and the Booh, in 1868, that" Browning 
was generally admitted to be a great poet, 

93. Did he write much after that date? 

For 21 years thereafter he continued to write with 
amazing fecundity. 

94. Give the titles and dates of some of these later works. 

Herve Riel, Balaustion's Adventure, and Prince 
Hohenstiel-Schwangau, 1871; Fifine at the Fair, 
1872; Pacchiar otto, 187 '6; La Saisiaz and The Two 
Poets of Croisic, 1878; Dramatic Idylls, 1879-1880; 
Jocoseria, 1883; Ferishtah's Fancies, 1884; Parley- 
ings, 1887. His last volume of poems, Asolando, was 
published on the day of his death, December 12, 1889. 

95. Name some other incidents in his career. 

In 1867 he was made an M. A. of Oxford, and in 
1884 an LL.D. of Edinburgh. In 1846 he married 
Elizabeth Barrett, and they lived an ideally happy 
life until her sudden death at Florence in 1861. 
Browning himself died at Venice, and was buried in 
Westminster Abbey. 

96. What is usually considered Browning's masterpiece ? 

The Ring and the Booh. It is one of the longest 
poems in the world. The central story deals with the 
murder by Count Guido of his beautiful young wife, 
and the same story is retold in a series of monologues 
by the different persons concerned, each, of course, 
viewing the crime from a different standpoint. It is a 
powerful poem and one of the most original in the 
language. 



266 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



97. To what order did Browning's genius belong? 

Although his regular dramas, such as Strafford 
(1837) and Colombes Birthday (1853), achieved no 
very remarkable success on the stage, yet his genius 
was essentially dramatic. In his own words, he studies 
"the incidents in the development of a soul" : hence 
his work is generally deeply philosophical and meta- 
physical. 

98. What is one of the grave defects of Browning's writings? 

He is often very obscure ; but it is always well 

worth while to try to understand his meaning. 

99. Name some of his best-known shorter poems. 

Home Thoughts from Abroad; One Word More; 
The Last Ride Together; Herve Riel; How They 
Brought the Good News from, Ghent to Aix; The 
Pied Piper of Hamelin; Garden Fancies; A Gram- 
marian s Funeral; Fra Lippo Lippi; Andrea del 
Sarto; Rabbi Ben Ezra; Ivan Ivanovitch. 

100. What was one of Browning's distinguishing characteris- 
tics? 

His optimism. It is seen splendidly in the Epi- 
logue to his last poem, Asolando. He was truly 

"One who never turned his back, but marched breast forward, 

Never doubted clouds would break, 
Never dreamed, though right were worsted, wrong would triumph, 
Held we fall to rise, are baffled to fight better, 

Sleep to wake." 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



267 



LESSON" XII. 

ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING. DIED 1861. 
Chief works: (1) The Seraphim and other Poems 
(2) Sonnets from the Portuguese. 
(6) Casa Guidi Windoivs. 

(4) Aurora Leigh. 

(5) Poems Before Congress. 

101. Who was Elizabeth Barrett Browning? 

She was the daughter of Edward Barrett, and was 
born in 1806 at Coxhoe Hall, in Durham. She had 
already achieved considerable poetic fame when in 
1846, in opposition to the wishes of her father, she 
secretly married Robert Browning. She had been a 
confirmed invalid, but the happiness of her wedded 
life worked wonders, and her health materially im- 
proved. Her only child, a son, was born in 1849. 
She died in 1861 at Florence, and was buried there. 

102. What is her principal work? 

Probably Sonnets from the Portuguese, 

103. What is the meaning: of that title? 

It might be inferred from the title that they are 
translations, but indeed they are most original. Miss 
Barrett had written a poem, Catarina to Camoens, 
which Browning liked greatly, and hence he used fre- 
quently to call her by the endearing title of "My 
little Portuguese." The sonnets were written in se- 
cret in 1845-1846, during their courtship, and were 
presented after marriage as a unique wedding gift to 
her husband. "The Portuguese" is therefore Mrs. 
Browning herself. The Sonnets deal with their love. 

104. What is the Casa Guidi Windows? 

It is a political poem on the struggles of the Ital- 
ians for freedom, and embodies a plea for the libera- 
tion of Italy. 

18 



268 LESSONS IX EXGLISH LITERATURE. 

105. What is Aurora Leigh? 

It is a narrative and didactic poem in nine books, 
and has been aptly described as a novel or romance 
in blank verse. Through the medium of the story it 
deals with the moral and social problems of the time. 

106. What is meant by Poems Before Congress? 

It is a collection of Mrs. Browning's political 
poems. 

107. To what order of genius did Mrs. Browning belong? 

Her genius was essentially lyric. 

108. Name some of her best-known short poems. 

Cowper's Grave; De Profundis; The Cry of the 
Children; The Romaunt of Margret; IsobeVs Child; 
Bertha in the Lane, 



LESSOX XIII. 

JOHX LIXGARD. DIED 1851. 

Chief works: (1) History of England. 

(2) Antiquities of the Anglo-Saxon Church. 

LORD MACAULAY. DIED 1859. 

Chief works: (1) Critical and Historical Essays. 

(2) History of England. 

(3) Lays of Ancient Rome. 

HENRY HALL AM. DIED 1859. 

Chief works : (1) Introduction to the Literature of Europe 
in the loth, 16th> and 17th Centuries. 

(2) View of Europe During the Middle Ages. 

(3) Constitutional History of England. 

109. "Who was Dr. John Lingard? 

He was a learned Catholic priest, a native of Eng- 
land, who was educated at Donay in France, and spent 
the last forty years of his life at the secluded mission 
of Hornby in Lincolnshire, 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



269 



110. Which is his chief work? 

A History of England, from the First Invasion by 
the Romans to the Accession of William and Mary in 
1688, The last edition, as revised by the author, is 
in ten octavo volumes.* It was translated into 
French, German, and Italian. 

111. Mention some of the many admirable qualities of this 
masterly production. 

It possesses all the higher qualities which should 
adorn a great history — deep research, fulness of de- 
tail, lucid arrangement, and an impartiality that is 
truly admirable. Among the crowd of works on Eng- 
lish history it stands alone — unrivalled. 

112. What may be said of the style in which it is written? 

The style is one of classic purity. It is calm, con- 
cise, vigorous, and idiomatic. It is a style which, 
while avoiding their defects, seems to unite the beau- 
ties of Hume, Eobertson, and Gibbon. 

113. Which was Lingard's earliest production, the pioneer, 
indeed, of his great History? 

The Antiquities of the Anglo-Saxon Church, a 
work of great merit, which treats of the establishment 
of the faith among the Anglo-Saxons, and of the cus- 
toms, laws, learning, and literature of early Christian 
England. 

114. Who was one of the most brilliant writers of the Nine- 
teenth Century, especially in the field of historical criticism? 

Thomas Babington Macaulay, a native of Eng- 
land, who, as a student at Cambridge, had won high 



* In recognition of Lingard's great services to religion and 
literature, Pope Pius VII. conferred upon him the degrees ol 
Doctor of Divinity and of Canon and Civil Law, in 1821. At one 
time it was rumored that he was to be raised to the dignity ol 
Cardinal, but the learned priest remonstrated, as it would inter- 
fere with the completion of his History. He received a Crown 
pension of £300 a year in 1839. 



270 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



honors, and while still a young man had become fa- 
mous by his essays in the Edinburgh Review. 

115. Which is his greatest historical work, and what period 
of time does it cover? 

His History of England from the Accession of 
James II. It begins with the reign of James II., and 
covers a period of little more than fifteen years. It 
is only a brilliant fragment.* 

116. What are Macaulay's chief defects as an historian? 

He was a man of strong prejudices. He is fre- 
quently either a warm partisan or a bitter enemy, and 
is thus unfitted to hold the balance of justice. He 
paints James II. in the blackest colors, but his over- 
praise of William of Orange is false and fulsome. He 
is brilliant, but not always reliable. 

117. What may be said of his poetry? 

He wrote little, but that little is delightful in itfc 
way. In the Lays of Ancient Rome, he chants some 
of the daring deeds which adorn the pages of early 
Eoman history. 

118. Which, on the whole, may be considered the best among 
the works of this learned and most versatile genius? 

His Critical and Historical Essays. 

119. Is Macaulay's style remarkable? 

It is ; he usually expresses himself in short, pithy 
sentences. His diction is remarkablv clear, lively, 
pointed, forcible, and brilliant. He was, indeed, a 
distinguished master of English prose. 



from Ihn K e, « said . Macaulay, "to write the historv of England 
withir . th? c £f SR10n ot -Tames the Second down to a time which is 
he hid nni^m°7+°J me ? sti11 l ™mg." But when death came, 
he had only completed a fraction of his self-imposed task. 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



120. What other English historian greatly enriched English 
literature with productions of permanent value during the nine- 
teenth century? 

Henry Hallam, who was one of the very ablest and 
most distinguished of the critical historians of mod- 
ern times. 

121. By what famous work did he enrich English criticism in 
1837? 

By his Introduction to the Literature of Europe in 
the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Centuries, 
a most valuable work of which the sagacity and calm- 
ness are well matched with the profound erudition. 

122. Which was the first of Hallam's productions, in the order 
of time? 

A View of the State of Europe During the Middle 
Ages, which was first published in 1818. It is an ele- 
gant, highly finished, and solid production. 

123. What other remarkable historical work did he publish? 

The Constitutional History of England, from the 
Accession of Henry VII. to the Death of George II. , 
a work which Macaulay pronounced the most impar- 
tial book he ever read. It was published in 1827. 

124. In what way do Hallam's works rebuke such careless 
historical writers as Robertson, Hume, and Froude? 

Besides deep and varied learning and exhaustive 
research, Hallam brought to his tasks a wonderfully 
earnest, truth-loving, and impartial mind. 



272 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



LESSON XIV. 

SYDNEY SMITH. DIED 1845. 

Chief works: (1) Essays. 

f (2) Letters of r< ter Plymley. 

LORD JEFFREY. DIED 1850. 
Chief works : Essays. 

125. Who was Sydney Smith? 

He was a gifted and witty Protestant clergyman, a 
native of England, and one of the founders and the 
first editor of the Edinburgh Review, 

126. Where did most of his Essays first appear, and on what 
subjects did he usually write? 

Most of his Essays first appeared in the Edinburgh 
Review. He commonly wrote on polities, literature, 
and philosophy. 

127. Which is his most celebrated series of writings? 

His Letters on the Subject of the Catholics. He 
wrote under the name of "Peter Plymley," and the 
Letters were addressed to "my brother Abraham who 
lives in the country." They are a fine example of 
wit used as a political weapon. 

128. When were these letters published, and what was their 

object? 

They were published in 1807, and their object was 
to hasten the emancipation of the Catholics. Smith's 
warm, manly sympathy was given to the oppressed 
Catholics, and his exertions in their behalf should 
never be forgotten. 

129. For what are his writings especially marked? 

"For hearty wit, solid reasoning, and keen common 
sense. Indeed, for pure wit, Sydney Smith stands 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



273 



unrivalled among the British prose-writers. Many 
of his bright sayings have passed into proverbs.* 

130. Who was Lord Jeffrey? 

^Francis J effrey was a native of Scotland, a lawyer, 
edited the Edinburgh Review tor twenty-six years, rose 
to be Lord-Advocate, and was finally elevated to the 
Scottish Bench, with the legal title of Lord Jeffrey. 

131. What are his chief published works? 

Essays, which are in four volumes, and consist of 
a selection of seventy-nine of his best articles from 
the Edinburgh Review. 

132. What may be said of his standing as a critic, writer, and 
reviewer? 

Jeffrey was a distinguished critic, and a writer of 
great vigor and elegance. He stands at the head of 
modern English reviewers. 



* Only two years before his death, in answer to the inquiries of 
a French journalist. Smith wrote the following. It is a good 
specimen of his style : tk I am 74 years of age ; and being a Canon 
of St. Paul's in London, and Rector of a parish in the country, 
my time is equally divided between town and country. I am 
living amid the best society in the metropolis ; am at ease in my 
circumstances ; in tolerable health ; a mild whig ; a tolerating 
churchman ; and much given to talking, laughing, and noise. I 
dine with the rich in London, and physic the poor in the country ; 
passing from the sauces of Dives to the sores of Lazarus. I am, 
upon the whole, a happy man ; have found the world an enter- 
taining world, and am heartily thankful to Providence for the 
part allotted to me in it." 



274 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



LESSOR XV. 

FREDERICK WILLIAM FABER. DIED 1863. 

Chief works : (1) All for Jesus. 

(2) The Blessed Sacrament. 

(3) The Creator and the Creature. 

(4) Spiritual Conferences. 

(5) Poems. 

NICHOLAS PATRICK WISEMAN. DIED 1865. 

Chief works: (1) Lectures on the Connection Between Science 
and Revealed Religion. 

(2) Lectures on the Principal Doctrines and 

Practices of the Catholic Church. 

(3) Recollections of the Last Four Popes. 

(4) Essays on Various Subjects. 

(5) Fabiola, or the Church of the Catacombs. 

133. Who was Father Faher? 

Frederick William Faber, a native of England, was 
educated at Oxford, became a convert* to the Cath- 
olic faith, and for nearly twenty years was one of the 
most prominent priests and popular spiritual writers 
in Europe. 



* In 1841, four years before his conversion, during a tour 
through Europe, he wrote the following. It is a fair specimen of 
his style: "As we ascended the river (Enns) from this mountain 
pass, the valley opened out into a wet and sterile and forlorn 
basin. In the midst of this stands the spacious Benedictine mon- 
astery, Ad Montes. It was founded by Gebhard, Bishop of Salz- 
burg, in 1074. The pile of building is immense. There are 
ninety monks in it, who have theological pupils under them, and 
also instruct the poor of the parishes on their estates in agri- 
culture and domestic arts. The usual indomitable energy of the 
monks has done much to cover this bleak basin with cultivation ; 
but, like an imperfect garment, it onlv calls attention to the 
nakedness it would fain conceal. Yet I saw phalanxes of wheat 
sheaves along the river side, and many unpromising spots upon 
the steeps were fragrant with red clover. Almost every Eng- 

lshman, m books, letters, and conversation, is ready with the 
back phrases to which a few Whig historians of the seventeenth 
and eighteenth centuries have tuned us, such as Mazy monks,' 

drones of monasteries,' 'fatteners on the poor.' and the like, 
let, if men, who would or could think, were to wander, as I have 
done, up river-courses, threading sequestered valleys, and tracing 
mil- born brooks, and exploring deserted woodlands, not for any 
sucn purpose as to gather evidence in behalf of monks, but merely 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



134. In what form of vers6 composition did Faher excel? 

He was a writer of beautiful hymns, many of which, 
such as The Land Beyond the Sea; Sweet Saviour! 
Bless Us Ere We Go; and I Was Wandering and 
Weary, are still in general use. 

135. What may he said of his spiritual writings? 

They are very popular. Faber is a writer of great 
unction. He is attractive.* He often conve} r s truth 
in short, epigrammatic sentences, full of practical 
wisdom and the spirit of holy kindness. His volumes 
abound in literary beauties. 

136. How may his personal and literary merits he summed up? 

He was an apostolic man, an eloquent preacher, a 
writer of exquisite prose, and a poet of rare excel- 
lence.! 

137. Who was Cardinal Wiseman? 

He was a native of Spain, of Irish and English 
descent ; was educated J at Ushaw and at Rome ; filled 
various important offices; was one of the founders of 
the Dublin Review; and in 1850 was created Cardinal, 
and first Archbishop of Westminster. 



to foster and strengthen meditative power, they would see how, 
under the toiling hands of the old monks, green grass and yellow 
com encroached upon the black heath and unhealthy fen — how- 
lordly and precious woods rose upon unproductive steeps — how- 
waters became a blessing where they had been a curse, irrigating 
the lands which once they ravaged — how poor communities were 
held together by their aims in unhopeful places for years, till 
the constrained earth yielded her reluctant fruits— and cities 
are now where the struggling tenant villages of the kind monks 
were, as the monks' salt-pans are now the princely Munich." 

*" I want to make piety bright and happy," he writes in the 
preface to his All for Jesus. 

t Faber was a great admirer of Wordsworth. Indeed, it seems 
the admiration was reciprocal. "If it were not for Frederic k 
Faber's devoting himself so much to his sacred calling, said 
Wordsworth on one occasion, "he would be the poet of his age. 

% Wiseman was brought to Ireland in his childhood, and re- 
ceived his first education at Waterford. 



276 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



138. "Which of his works is best known to the general liter- 
ary world? 

His famous Lectures on the Connection Between 
Science and Revealed Religion. They exhibit deep, 
sound, and varied learning, and a diction rich and 
brilliant. 

139. What is Fabiola? 

Fdbiola is a charming story — an exact, graceful, 
and entertaining picture of Roman Life in the early 
ages of Christianity.* 

140. What may be said of this celebrated man as a scholar 

and ecclesiastic! 

Cardinal Wiseman was one of the most accom- 
plished scholars, linguists, and theologians of his 
time; and his is one of the great names destined to 
shine with undimmed splendor in the annals of the 
Catholic Church of England. 

141. What do you think of his style? 

It is graceful and vigorous, and fitly adorns 
thoughts often strikingly rich, suggestive, and beau- 
tiful.f 



* Fabtola/' said Dr. Brownson, "is the first work of the kind 
that we have read in any language in which truly pious and de- 
vout sentiment, and the loftiest and richest imagination, are so 
blended, so fused together, that one never jars on the other." 

t Cardinal Wiseman's last literary effort was an unfinished 
essay on Shakespeare, of whom he was a sincere admirer. 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



277 



LESSON XVI. 

W. M. THACKERAY. DIED 1863. 

Chief works: (1) Vanity Fair. 

(2) Pendmnis. 

(3) Esmond. 

< 4 | 77? r Newcomes. 

(5) Lectures on the English Humorists of the 
Eighteenth Century. 

CHARLES DICKENS. DIED 1870. 

Chief works: (1) The Pickwick Papers. 

(2) Nicholas Nickleby. 

(3) The Old Curiosity Shop. 

(4) David Copper field. 

(5) Bleak House. 

(6) A TaZe o/ Two Cities. 

142. Who were the two great early Victorian English novel- 
ists? 

Thackeray and Dickens. 

143. Give a short account of William Makepeace Thackeray. 

He was born in 1811 at Calcutta, of English par- 
ents; was educated at Cambridge; studied law; but 
devoted his life to art and literature. 

144. Which was his first famous work? 

Vanity Fair, a novel of great power and originality. 

145. What have you to ohserve of Thackeray's pictures of 
human character? 

He describes people as he finds them ; but his indi- 
viduals are generally types of classes. 

146. What may he said of his style and general merits as a 
writer ? 

Thackeray was a prince of satire — a master of 
fresh, sparkling, idiomatic English. He applied the 
lash to shams, snobs, humbugs, and hypocrites; and 



278 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



in a certain way proved himself a moralist and re- 
former. At times, however, his cynicism is annoy- 
ing.* 

147. Give a brief outline of the early career of Charles 
Dickens. 

He was born in 1812, was a native of England, 
passed his youth in poverty, but finally discovered the 
ladder to fame and fortune when he became a news- 
paper reporter. His training on the press ^ prepared 
his genius for a higher sphere in literature.! 

148. Which of his novels is generally considered his finest pro- 
duction? 

David Cop-perfield, which is in some respects an au- 
tobiography, describing the struggles of his own 
youth. 

149. What is your opinion of the merits and defects of this 
famous writer? 

Dickens was a moral writer, who exposed and 
scourged many of the crying evils of his time. He 
had great dramatic power, and his stories are always 
humorous and interesting, though often overloaded 
with minute details. He was quick to notice the ec- 



* "In a moral point of view. Thackeray's writing? are open to 
serious objection. The fundamental principle w 7 bicb underlies 
them is the total depravity of human nature, rendering virtue an 
impossibility, and religious practice a sham. As Catholics, we 
know that the human power for good has been weakened — not de- 
stroyed — and that the grace of Christ may yet raise men to the 
sublimest virtue." — Fr. Jenkins. 

Among the many fine, sensible passages from Thackeray's pen, 
we have room for one only : "Might I give counsel to any young 
hearer, I would say to him, Try to frequent the company of your 
bettersL In books and life, that is the most w r holesome society ; 
learn to admire rightly ; the great pleasure of life is that. Note 
what great men admired ; they admired great things. Narrow 
spirits admire basely and worship meanly." 

t Only two years before his death Dickens is reported to have 
said : "To the wholesome training of severe newspaper work, 
when I was a very young man, I constantly refer my first suc- 
cesses." 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 279 

centricities of human nature ; and many of his crea- 
tions are caricatures and exaggerations. 



"Dickens gives us real characters in the garb of fiction ; but 
Thackeray uses fiction as the vehicle of social philosophy. Dick- 
ens is ' eminently dramatic ; Thackeray has nothing dramatic — 
neither scene nor personage. He is Democritus, the laughing 
philosopher, or Jupiter the thunderer ; he arraigns vice, pats 
virtue on the shoulder, shouts for muscular Christianity, un- 
covers shams — his personages are only names. Dickens describes 
individuals ; Thackeray only classes. His men and women are 
representatives, and, with but few exceptions, they excite our 
sense of justice, but not our sympathy ; the principal exception is 
Colonel Ne wcome, a real individual creation upon whom Thack- 
eray exhausted his genius." — Coppee. 



LESSON" XVII. 

GEORGE ELIOT. DIED 1880. 

Chief works: (1) Scenes from Clerical Life. 

(2) Adam Bede. 

(3) The Mill on the Floss. 

(4) Silas Harner. 

(5) Romola. 

(6) Felix Bolt, the Radical, 

(7) Middlcmarch. 

(8) Daniel Deronda. 

(9) Poems. 

(10) Essays. 

(11) Translations. 

150. Who was George Eliot? 

"George Eliot" was the pen-name used by a dis- 
tinguished woman novelist, whose real name was Mary 
Ann or Marian Evans, and who by her two marriages 
became successively Mrs. Lewes and Mrs. Cross. 

151. With what element of society did George Eliot generally 
deal in her novels? 

With lower middle-class life in the Midland coun- 
ties of England in the earlier part of the nineteenth 
century. 

152. Did she try the historical novel? 

Yes, once, in Romola, which is a story of Florence 
in the time of Savonarola. Opinions differ as to its 



280 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



merit : some critics have gone so far as to call it one 
of the greatest English historical novels ; but it may 
be truly said that George Eliot had not sufficient 
buoyancy of imagination to give a correct picture of 
the people or the scenes which she is endeavoring to 
portray! Besides, the story does not move with that 
rapidity or that sense of action which characterizes the 
greatest novels of its class. 

153. In what ways does George Eliot excel? 

As a realist, a psychologist, and a moralist. 

154. What is the general effect of her novels? 

They are saddening and depressing. 

155. Which is the best of her novels? 

It is difficult to say: some stand up for Middle- 
march, others for Daniel Deronda. Perhaps, as a work 
of art, Silas Marner may be indicated as holding a 
high place. 

156. What is her rank as a novelist? 

She is generally named with Scott, Thackeray, and 
Dickens, and is sometimes ranked a little above Jane 
Austen and Richardson and a good deal below Field- 
ing. 

157. What poems did George Eliot write? 

The Spanish Gypsy; Agatha; The Legend ofJubal; 
and Armgart. 

:58. Did she also write Essays? 

Yes ; she published a volume of miscellaneous essays 
under the title of The Impressions of Theophrastus 
Such. 

159. What works did she translate from the German? 

Strauss's Leben Jesu (Life of Jesus) and Feuer- 
bach's Wesen des Christenthums (Essence of Chris- 
tianity). 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 281 

LESSON XVIII. 

GEORGE MEREDITH. DIED 1909. 

Chief works: (1) The Ordeal of Richard Fever el 

(2) Sandra Belloni. 

(3) Vittoria. 

(4) The Adventures of Henry Richmond 

(5) Beauchamp's Career 

(6) The Egoist. 

(7) Diana of the Cross-ways. 

(8) One of Our Conquerors. 

(9) Lord Ormont and His Aminta. 

(10) The Amazing Marriage. 

(11) Poems. 

160. Who was George Meredith? 

Novelist, poet, and philosopher, he was born in 
Hampshire in 1828; was educated in Germany; stud- 
ied law, but was drawn to literature ; was editor of a 
paper; was special war correspondent during the 
Italo- Austrian war of 1866 ; was literary reader to a 
publishing firm ; and, like Browning, achieved scarce- 
ly any fame as a writer for over thirty years. 

161. How does Meredith now rank as a novelist? 

He is in no sense a popular writer; but by those 
best competent to judge he is placed among the great- 
est English fiction- writers. Stevenson said of him, 
"He is the master of all of us." 

162. What prevents him from being popular? 

Partly his difficult, elliptical, and compressed style, 
and partly the profundity of his thought. 

163. What are his distinguishing characteristics? 

He is eminently psychological; he is unexcelled in 
the making of telling phrases and brilliant aphor- 
isms ; and he is humorous and satirical. 

164. Which is the greatest of his novels? 

Opinions are divided between The Egoist and Di- 
ana of the Crossways. 



282 lessors in English literature. 



165. What is Meredith's rank as a poet? 

His reputation as a poet is already high, and is in- 
creasing. 

166. What are his principal poems? 

Chillianwallah ; Modem Love, and Poems of the 
English Roadside, with Poems and Ballads; Poems 
and Lyrics of the Joy of Earth; Ballads and Poems of 
Tragic Life; and A Reading of Earth. 



LESSON XIX. 

THOMAS CARLYLE. DIED 1881. 

Chief works : (1) Sartor Resartns. 

(2) The French HecohtHon. 

(3) History of Frederick the Great. 

( 4 ) Peminiscen ccs. 

(5) Essays. 

JOHN RUSKIX. DIED 1900. 

Chief works : (1) Modern Painters. 

(2) The Seven Lamps of Architecture. 

(3) The Stones of Venice. 

(4) The T-wo Paths. 

(5) Unto This Last. 

(6) Sesame and Lilies. 

(7) Praeieritd. 

167. Who was Thomas Carlyle? 

Thomas Carlyle, an eccentric genius of strong, in- 
flexible character, was a stone-mason's son, was born 
in 1795, and was a native of Scotland. He was edu- 
cated at the University of Edinburgh, was a teacher 
for a while, but finally devoted his life to literature. 

168. Which was his first work of marked power? 

A mixture of farce and indignation, entitled Sartor 
Resartus* which is one of the most curious produc- 
tions in English. 



• That is. The Patcher Eepatched. 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



£83 



169. Which is Carlyle's most popular work? 

The French Revolution, which has well been 
called "a history in flashes of lightning." But it is a 
fiery, historical drama, rather than a real history. It 
is a series of lurid pictures, unmatched for vivid 
power, in which the figures of such wild sons of earth 
as Danton and Mirabeau loom up gigantic and ter- 
rible as the glare of a volcanic eruption. With all its 
defects, however, this is a fine book, and is perhaps 
the best specimen of Carlyle's odd, rugged, and pic- 
turesque style, and of his powerful and melancholy 
eloquence. 

170. Mention one of his most important biographical works. 

The History of Friedrich II., commonly called 
Frederick the Great — a work which displays the most 
patient industry and which has all the characteristics 
of Carlyle's unique style. 

171. Which was Carlyle's last production? 

Reminiscences, a volume of some interest, pub- 
lished after his death. 

172. How do you estimate Carlyle as a thinker and writer? 
Carlyle was a bold, arrogant, and original thinker. 

He had a ridiculous veneration for force — even brute 
force.* He disliked shams and infidels, but lashed 
the bulk of mankind as a crowd of boobies and block- 
heads, who had no mercy to expect from a grim, 
gloomy, sour dyspeptic.f He was crammed with vio- 
lent prejudices.^ But his pages are lighted up, here 



* Witness how he sings the praises of Frederick the Great and 
Oliver Cromwell. 

t 'Carl vie suffered for the greater part of his long life from 
chronic dyspepsia. 

i On one occasion the grievances of Ireland were discussed by 
an' after-dinner company, Carlyle and an Irish gentleman In mi: 
present. "Ye see, the Irish," said the grim old sago, "may have 
their grievances ; but I tell you, sirs, before I'd listen to one 



19 



284 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

and there, with flashes of humor. He abounds in 
German* ideas and modes of expression, and twists 
English into an odd style of his own, which is Tivid, 
uncouth, turgid, and powerful. 

173. Who is the acknowledged chief of English writers on 
art and art-criticism? 

John Buskin, a native of London and a graduate 
of the University of Oxford. He devoted his life to 
the study of art. 

174. Which is Ruskin's first work? 

Modem Painters, a book that immediately estab- 
lished his reputation. 

175. What other production soon followed? 

The Seven Lamps of Architecture ; that is, the 
seven moral principles of architecture. 

176. Which is commonly considered his greatest work? 

The Stones of Venice. 

177. What may be said of the style of this famous writer? 

Ruskin's style possesses much that is eccentric but 
beautiful. It is marked by force, animation, sugges- 
tiveness, and a certain wild loveliness. He has won- 
derful powers of description. 



word from them, I'd just, with sword and gun, shoot and cut and 
hew them all until I had taught them to respect human life, and 
give up murder. Then I'd listen to them." The Irish gentleman 
did not agree with this fanatical, bulldog doct rine, so worthy of 
Cromwell. "Then, what would ye propose, sir? There is no 
remedy," sneered Carlyle. "Yes." said the gentleman, "the 
British can go away — go home." "We'll cut all your throats 
first V cried the savage old Scotchman. The anecdote is char- 
acteristic of a man who was so full of pugnacity and violence 
that he had little room for justice and charitv. 

*Carlyle's knowledge of German literature 'was unequalled by 
that of any English writer of his age, He was as German as the 
Germans themselves. 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



285 



LESSON XX. 

MATTHEW ARNOLD. DIED 1888. 

Chief works: (1) Criticism. 

( 2 ) Poems. 

178. Who was Matthew Arnold! 

He was the eldest son of Dr. Thomas Arnold, head- 
master of Rugby School; was born in 1822; was edu- 
cated at Winchester, at Rugby, and at Oxford; was 
inspector of schools for 35 years; was professor of 
poetry at Oxford for 10 years; and made a name for 
himself first as a poet and afterwards as a critic. 

179. What are the titles of his principal works in literary 
criticism? 

On Translating Homer; On the Study of Celtic 
Literature; and Essays in Criticism. 

180. Did he confine himself to literary criticism? 

No ; he discussed politics, manners, and morals in 
Culture and Anarchy and in Friendships Garland : 
religion in St. Paul and Protestantism ; Literature 
and Dogma; and God and the Bible; literature and 
politics in Mixed Essays; and literature, culture, ed- 
ucation, and society in Discourses in America. 

181. What was Arnold's influence on his own generation? 

His influence was profound; and., so far, it lias 
been lasting. 

182. Which are his hest-known poems? 

He published altogether six volumes of poetry. 
Among the best known separate pieces are Balder 
Dead; Sohrdb and Rustum; and Tristram and IseuU, 
narrative poems; and, among shorter poems. The 
Forsaken Merman; Resignation; A Summer Nighv; 



280 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

Thyrsis; The Scholar-Gipsy; Rugby Chapel; Stanzas 
from the Grande Chartreuse; and Dover Beach. 

183. What is* Arnold's rank as a poet? 

His rank as a poet is not of the highest ; but there 
are not wanting signs that his poetic reputation is on 
the increase. 



LESSON XXL 

JOHN HENRY NEWMAN. DIED 1890. 

Chief works: (1) Apologia Pro Vita Sua. 

(2) Grammar of Assent. 

(3) Idea of a University. 

(4) Callista. 

(5) The Dream of Gerontius. 

(6) Verses on Various Occasions * 

HENRY EDWARD MANNING. DIED 1892. 

Chief works: (1) The Four Chief Evils of the Baa. 

(2) The True Story of the Vatican Council. 

(3) The Vatican Decrees in their Bearing on 

Civil Allegiance. 

(4) Miscellanies. 

(5) Sermons. 

184. Give a short outline of the life of John Henry Newman. 

John Henry Newman, the son of a banker, was 
born in London in 1801. He was educated at the 
University of Oxford, where he rose rapidly to be a 
leader of thought. In his forty-fifth year lie became 
a Catholic ; and nine years later he was appointed, first 
Rector of the new Catholic University at Dublin. He 
was elevated to the dignity of cardinal in 1879. 



As in the case of many other eminent writers of the nine- 
toon th century, the books here named are cited only as repre- 
sentative works ; we have 36 volumes in all from the pen of 
ardmal Newman. Some of his best thoughts are collected in a 
handy _ volume e of well-chosen extracts entitled Characteristics 
P^.*»f Writings of John Henry Neivman, arranged and edited 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 287 



185. What is the Apologia? 

It is a history of Newman's religious opinions un- 
til he happily found his way into the Catholic Church ; 
and it has been well said that "he who wishes to know 
the sterling, pithy English that cleaves straight to 
the core of its subject, will give his days and nights 
to the Apologia" 

186. Which is the most deeply philosophical of this great 
man's works? 

The Grammar of Assent, which restates, brings to- 
gether, and harmonizes the philosophical principles 
discussed in many of his other productions. 

187. What is the Idea of a University? 

It is a collection of discourses and essays as to the 
scope and work of a model university. 

188. Of what does the story of Callista treat? 

It is a vivid picture of Christianity and paganism 
as they existed in Africa in the days of Saint Cyp- 
rian. 

189. What is to he said of the merit, rank, and variety of 
Newman's writings? 

Cardinal Newman's writings are great both in qual- 
ity and quantity. He addresses all classes. He is 
at once a poet, novelist, essayist, historian, sacred ora- 
tor, philosopher, and theologian; and he has stamped 
the seal of beauty and solidity on everything that fell 
the touch of his wonderful genius. 

190. What is your opinion of his style? 

It is a style that combines, in the highest degree, 
grace, strength, beauty, and simplicity. The language 
is as clear as light. 

191. Who was Cardinal Manning? 

Henrv Edward Manning, born in 1808, was a na- 
tive of England and a graduate of Oxford. At the 



288 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



time of his conversion to the Catholic faith (1851) 
he was forty-three years of age, and was one of the 
most gifted, learned, and honored dignitaries of the 
Anglican Church. He succeeded Cardinal Wiseman, 
as Archbishop of Westminster, fourteen years later 
(1865). This venerable man was a prominent mem- 
ber of the Vatican Council in 1870, and in 1875 was 
created cardinal. 

192. What is Cardinal Manning's rank in the world of letters? 

He is one of the reaL masters of English prose. As 
early as 1850, Henry Eeecl mentions "the sermons of 
Manning" as among the most polished and artistic 
writings of the age. 



LESSON" XXII. 

DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI. DIED 1882. 

Chief works: (1) The Blessed Damozel. 

(2) Ballads and Sonnets. 

(3) The Early Italian Poets. 

(4) Dante and His Circle. 

193. Who was Dante Gabriel Rossetti? 

Born m London in 1828, he was the son of an ex- 
iled Italian painter, patriot, and scholar. He was 
himself both painter and poet. He was one of the 
leaders of the Pre-Baphaelite Brotherhood, which was 
formed in England in 1848 for the purpose of en- 
couraging naturalness and simplicity in literature and 
art. 

194. What was the organ of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood? 

The Germ, published in 1849. It ran to only four 
numbers. 

195. What famous poem of Rossetti's appeared in The Germ I 

The Blessed Damozel, which by its simplicity and 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



289 



its fine spirituality exemplified the ideals of the Pre- 
Eaphaelites. 

196. What did the Eallads and Sonnets contain? 

It contained, among other poems, The Ballad of 
Sister Helen; The King's Tragedy ; and The House of 
Life. 

197. What is the House of Life? 

Eossettfs young, wife had died in 1862, less than 
two years after their marriage, and The House of Life 
is a sequence of 101 sonnets dealing with the poet's 
love and his loss. It ranks with Mrs. Browning's 
Sonnets from the Portuguese. 

198. Did Rossetti do any verse translations? 

Yes; his Early Italian Poets and Dante and His 
Circle are wonderfully happy translations from Ital- 
ian originals. 

199. Did Rossetti exercise much influence on English litera- 
ture? 

Eossetti was pictorial in his poetry as well as in his 
paintings, and as one of the chief exemplifiers of Ro- 
manticism his influence was undoubtedly very strong. 



"In all matters of taste Rossetti's influence has been immense. 
The purelv decorative arts he may be said to have re- 
juvenated directly or indirectly. And it is doubtful whether 
any other Victorian poet has left so deep an impression upon 
the poetic methods of his time." (Theodore Watts-Dunton, in 
Encyclopaedia Britannica. ) 



290 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



LESSON XXIII. 

WILLIAM MORRIS. DIED 1896. 

Chief works: (1) The Defence of Guenevere, 

(2) Life and Death of Jason. 

(3) The Earthly Paradise. 

(4) Love is Enough. 

(5) The Story of Sigurd the Volsung. 

(6) The House of the Wol flings. 

(7) A Dream of John Bull. 

(8) News from Nowhere. 

200. Who was William Morris? 

Poet, prose-writer, artist, architect, designer and 
manufacturer of house-furnishings, printer, book- 
binder, and socialist, he was one of the most many- 
sided geniuses produced by the nineteenth century. 
He was born at Walthamstow in 1834, and educated 
at Marlborough and Oxford. 

201. What is The Earthly Paradise? 

It is a collection of stories in verse, in which twelve 
classic legends are made to alternate with twelve me- 
diaeval ones. Some Vikings, wrecked on the mythical 
island of Atlantis, mingle with its inhabitants, who 
prove to be a cultured race, and remain for a year 
telling and hearing stories. An exquisite introduc- 
tion and delightful poems appropriate to each month 
link the narratives together. 

202. What is Sigurd the Volsung? 

It is an epic founded upon an Icelandic saga, and 
is by some critics considered Morris's best work. 

203. Did Morris write any prose romances? 

Yes; The House of the Wolfing s and several other 
tales come under that designation. 

204. What are the Dream of John Bull and News from No- 

where? 

They are attempts to represent, in simple and di- 
rect prose, an ideal state of society such as is shown 
in Sir Thomas More's Utopia, 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



291 



LESSOR XXIV. 

ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE. DIED 1909. 

Chief works: (1) Aialanta in Calydon. 

(2) Poems and Ballads. 

(3) Songs Before Sunrise. 

(4) Erechtheus. 

(5) Tristram of Lyonesse. 

(6) A Midsummer Holiday. 

(7) Dramas. 

205. Who was Algernon Charles Swinburne? 

The son of a British admiral, he was born in Lon- 
don in 1837; was educated at Eton and Oxford; and 
from an early age devoted himself to literature. 

206. What are Atalanta in Calydon and Erechtheus? 

They are attempts to revive in lyric drama the form 
and spirit of Greek tragedy. Both are remarkable 
for their beautiful choruses. 

207. For what is Swinburne especially noted? 

For the splendour of his lyric genius, which per- 
haps reached its highest point in Tristram of Lyon- 
esse. His Midsummer Holiday contains some mag- 
nificent sea-ballads. Songs Before Sunrise has been 
appropriately described as a "terrible hymnal of revo- 
lution/' In mastery over the Sonnet Swinburne lias 
not often been surpassed. In addition to his many 
other merits, he enriched English poetry with a greal 
variety of new rhythms and new metres, thereby 
greatly enlarging its scope. 

208. What dramas did he write? 

Chastelard, Boihwell, and Mary Stuart.which form 
a trilogy around the central subject of the unfortu- 
nate Queen of Scots; The Queen Mother and Rosa- 
munds Marino Faliero; Locrine; The Sisters: and 
Rosamund, Queen of the Lombards. They are dramas 
for reading, not for acting. 



292 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE, 



209. Did Swinburne write any prose? 

Yes ; he was a noted critic. Some of his best prose 
works are William Blake, a Critical Essay; George 
Chapman: a Critical Essay; Study of Shakespeare; 
Studies in Prose and Poetry. He was also a con- 
tributor to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, and to many 
monthly reviews and magazines. 



LESSON" XXV. 

COVENTRY PATH ORE. DIED 1896. 

Chief works: (1) The Angel in the House. 

(2) The Unknown Eros, and Other Odes. 

(3) Amelia. 

(4) Principle in Art. 

(5) Religio Poetae. 

(6) The Rod, the Root, and the Floivez. 

210. Who was Coventry Patmore? 

He was born at Woodford, in Essex, in 1823 ; was 
educated privately; was assistant librarian in the 
British Museum; was in close touch with the Pre- 
Raphaelites and contributed to their organ, The 
Germ; became a convert to Catholicity in 1864; was 
devoted to literature all his life; and died in 1896. 

211. What is his best-known poem? 

The Angel in the House (1854-1863), which is an 
exquisite presentation of domestic love in all its 
sacredness and tenderness. The principal inspiring 
force which gave rise to The Angel in the House was 
Patmore's first wife, to whom, for her beautv and ac- 
complishments and for her noble character, he was 
devotedly attached. Not only did all the great writers 
of the day hail the new poem with delight, but it also 
became immediately popular with the reading public." 



Nineteenth century. 



293 



212. What is The Unknown Eros, and other Odes? 

It is a collection of mystical and devotional odes. 

213. What is Amelia? 

It is a beautiful idyllic poem. 

214. What are Patmore's principal prose works? 

Principle in Art and Reliogio Poetce, which are col- 
lections of the Essays he contributed to various maga- 
zines; and The Rod The Root, and the Flower, which 
is made up of sayings and contemplations on relig- 
ious subjects. 



LESSON XXVI. 

FRANCIS THOMPSON. DIED 1907. 

Chief works: (1) Poems. 

(2) Sister Songs. 

(3) New Poems. 

(4) Health and Holiness. 

(5) Essay on SheUey. 

(6) Life of Saint Ignatius Loyola. 

215. Who was Francis Thompson? 

Poet, critic, and biographer, he was the son of a 
Catholic medical doctor; was born at Preston, in Lan- 
cashire, in 1860 ; was educated at Ushaw College and 
at Owens College, Manchester ; ran away to London, 
where he spent many years of miserable poverty, be- 
came addicted to laudanum, and sank very low in the 
social scale; sent a poem, Dream-Tryst, to the Cath- 
olic magazine Merry England; was sought and found 
by the editor; was given the needed opportunity; and 
thenceforward devoted himself to literature. U<> died 
in a London hospital in 1907. 

216. How is Thompson generally regarded as a poet? 

k He is generally regarded as one of the master lyr- 
ists of the later Victorian era. 



294 lessons m English literature. 



217. What is his best-known poem? 

The Hound of Heaven, a magnificent allegorical 
ode, which tells with wonderful imagery and in im- 
pressive verse the insistent love of God for the human 
soul. 

218. Name some of Thompson's other poems? 

An Anthem of Earth; Ode to the Setting Sun; 
Orient Ode; To a Snowflalce; To the Dead Cardinal of 
Westminster; Daisy; Her Portrait; The Cloud's 
Swan-Song. 

219. What prose works did Thompson write? 

Health and Holiness, a brief ascetical treatise ; Es- 
says and Eeviews for The Academy; Eeviews for The 
Athenaeum; an Essay on Shelley, published posthu- 
mously in The Dublin Review, the demand for which 
was so great that a second edition of the magazine had 
to be brought out ; and The Life of St. Ignatius Loy- 
ola, which was also published posthumously, and 
which seems destined to take a high rank among writ- 
ings of its own class. 



Summary of Chapter VI., Book II. 

1. The English rulers of the nineteenth century 
were George III., George IV., William IV., and 
Queen Victoria. 

2. The Nineteenth Century was an age of vast 
progress in Great Britain. 

3. The act of Catholic Emancipation was passed in 
1829. 

4. Inventions, education, manners, just laws, liter- 
ature, medicine, and all the natural and physical 
sciences, made great advances. 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



295 



5. Among the chief agents that influenced the Brit- 
ish literature of the nineteenth century were : (1) The 
French Revolution; (2) Catholic Emancipation; (3) 
German Literature; (4) Religious Unrest and the 
Tractarian Movement; (5) The Scientific Spirit; (6) 
The Materialistic Spirit. 

6. The first third of the Nineteenth Century con- 
stitutes one of the great creative periods of English 
literature. 

7. Works of fiction and periodical literature grew 
to immense proportions. 

8. The nineteenth century was rich in great his- 
torians. 

9. Byron, whose reputation was so great in his own 
day, is not now so highly thought of. The really 
great poets of the first part of the century are Words- 
worth, Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats. 

10. Thomas Campbell wrote some beautiful war- 
songs. 

11. Among the female poets, the first place is un- 
doubtedly due to Mrs. E. B. Browning. 

12. Tennyson, the poet-laureate of the Victorian 
age, Browning, and Swinburne are the three great 
poets of the latter part of the century. 

13. Lingard's History of England justly claims 
the first place on that subject. Green's History of 
the English People is a work of much merit. 

14. As great reviewers, Lord Macaulay and Lord 
Jeffrey hold undisputed rank; while for keen, hearty 
wit Sydney Smith remains unrivalled. 

15. English criticism reached a high standard of 
excellence in Hallam's Introduction to the Literature 
of Europe, and. in Matthew Arnold's various critical 
essays. Craik's History of the English Literature mid 



296 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



Language, and Chambers's Cyclopaedia of English Lit- 
erature deserve honorable mention. 

16. Among the few biographical works of real in- 
terest and classic excellence is Lockharf s Life of Sir 
Walter Scott. 

17. Sir Walter Scott wrote soul-stirring poems, but 
it is by his series of Waverley Novels that he holds 
his undoubted place in English literature. 

18. Father Faber was among the most popular of 
the Catholic religious writers of Great Britain. His 
All for Jesus is a book as beautiful as it is good. 

19. Cardinal Wiseman was one of the most charm- 
ing and accomplished writers of the nineteenth cen- 
tury; he permanently enriched English letters by his 
admirable Lectures on the Connection between Set- 
ence and Revealed Religion. 

20. Thackeray's ablest and most original work is 
Vanity Fair, but the Newcomes is his most popular 
production. 

21. Dickens's masterpiece is David Copperfield. 

22. George Eliot's novels are powerful, but de- 
pressing. 

23. George Meredith was a great master of the 
psychological, analytic, and satirical novel; he also 
had a fine vein of humor. 

24. The eccentric genius of Carlvle can perhaps 
best be seen in his French Revolution. 

25. The Stones of Venice is regarded as Buskin's 
finest production. 

26. Cardinal Newman was a writer, thinker, and 
philosopher of the very highest order. His Apologia 
is the best mirror of his mind and style, and it is a 
masterpiece. 

27. Another of the masters of English prose is Car- 
dinal Manning. 



NINETEENTH CENTURY. 297 

28. Among the later poets a high place is held by 
Dante Gabriel Rossetti; William Morris; Coventry 
Patmore ; and Francis Thompson. 

29. Bird's-eye view of the chief British writers and 
ivorks of the nineteenth century: 

POETS. 

William Wordsworth, The Excursion. 

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. 

Robert Southey, The Curse of Kehama. 

Sir Walter Scott, The Lady of the Lake. 

Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. 

Thomas Campbell, The Pleasures of Hope. 

Percy Bysshe Shelley, The Revolt of Islam. 

John Keats, Endymion. 

Lord Tennyson, The Idylls of the King. 

Robert Browning, The Ring and the Book. 

Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Sonnets from the Portuguese. 

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Ballads and Sonnets. 

William Morris, The Earthly Paradise. 

Algernon Charles Swinburne, Tristram of Lyonesse. 

Coventry Patmore, The Angel in the House. 

Francis Thompson, The Hound of Heaven. 

PROSE- WRITERS. 

Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Biographia Literaria. 
Robert Southey, The Life of Nelson. 
Sir Walter Scott, The Waverley Novels. 
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice. 
Charles Lamb, Essays of Elia. 

Thomas De Quincey, Confessions of an Opium Eater. 

John Lingard, History of England. 

Lord Macaulay, History of England ; and Essays. 

Henry Hallam, Introduction to the Literature of Europe. 

Sydney Smith, Essays. 

Lord Jeffrey. Essays. 

Frederick William Faber, All for Jesus. 

Nicholas Patrick Wiseman, Fabiola. 

•William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair. 

Charles Dickens, David Copperfield. 

George Eliot. Silas Marner. 

George Meredith, The Egoist. 

Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution. 

John Ruskin/ The Stones of Venice. 

Matthew Arnold. Essays in Criticism. 

John Henry Newman, Apologia pro Vita Sua. 

Henry Edward Manning, Sermons. 

William Morris, The House of the Wolfing s. 

Algernon Charles Swinburne, Studies in Prose and Poet) y. 

Francis Thompson, The Life of St. Ignatius Loyola. 

In the Short Dictionary at the end of this book 
reference is made to other British writers of the nine- 
teenth century. 



BOOK III. 



THE LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



CHAPTER I. 
GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 
A. D. 432 to 1700. 



HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION*. 

"In no nation in the world are there found so many old his- 
tories, annals, chronicles, etc., as among the Irish ; and that fact 
alone suffices to prove that in periods most ancient they were 
truly a civilized nation, since they attached such importance to 
the records of events then taking place among them." — Thebaud. 

1. A Bird's-eye View of Ancient Irish His- 
tory. — Some idea of ancient Ireland is necessary in 
order to have a better understanding of its Gaelic 
literature, and of the unhappy Ireland of the eigh- 
teenth and nineteenth centuries. It is only in com- 
paratively recent times that English has become the 
speech of the majority of the Irish people— a people 
whose history, language, and literature are the most 
ancient in Europe. 

2. Pagan Ireland. — Ireland is a beautiful island 
on (lie western extremity of Europe. It is 306 miles 
long and 182 miles broad, and its area is about 32,700 
square miles. Thirteen centuries before Christ, ac- 
cording to tradition, an expedition of Celts from 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



299 



Spain, led by the sons of Milesius, approached that 
island. 

"They came from a land beyond the sea, 
And now o'er the western main 
Set sail, in their good ships, gallantly, 

From the sunny land of Spain. 
'Oh, where's the Isle we've seen in dreams, 
Our destined home or grave?' 
Thus sang they as. by the morning's beams, 
They swept the Atlantic wave." 

They landed, conquered the country, and identified 
themselves so completely with their new possessions 
that they have come to be regarded as the true type 
of the Irish race. The Milesians were the Normans 
of that age — a brave, trained, enlightened people. 
They did not destroy the natives, but reduced them to 
subjection. After the conquest, the island was named 
Scotia* and was divided between Heber and Here- 
mon, the sons of Milesius, to one or other of whom 
all the native families of ancient blood delight to 
trace their pedigree; and to this day the favorite 
name for an Irishman in poetry and romance is a 
Milesian.f 

The rule of the Milesians over Ireland continued 
unbroken down to the English invasion in the twelfth 
century — a period of over 2,400 years. Among the 



* It was so called, it is said, after Scota. the mother of Heber 
and Heremon : and her grave is still pointed out in the county 
of Kerry. Ireland was named at various times Erin, Hibernia, 
and Scotia. It has been called Ireland since the English invasion. 
It is the true Scotia, and the Irish are the true Scots of anti 
quity. The name Scotia was applied exclusively In Ireland until 
the eleventh century, when it was transferred to Scotland, called 
Alba, Scotia Minor — and sometimes Caledonia — beforo that per- 
iod. As earlv as the third century, the ancient Irish or Scots es- 
tablished colonies in Alba, or Scotland: and in course ol time 
their descendants became the kings of North Britain, and called 
their countrv Scotia Minor, or Lesser Scotia, after the mother 
country Ireland, or greater Scotia. When the term Ireland 
supplanted that of Scotia. Scotia Minor alone retained the name, 
which finally became Scotland. The MacDonalds, Campbells, and 
other Highland clans are lineal descendants of the ancient iriso 
who conquered and colonized North Britain. 

f Sir C. G. Duffy. 



20 



300 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



most noted in a long line of pagan monarch®, the ma- 
jority of whom pass before us like shadows in a 
dream, were Ollamh* Fodla, Conary the Great, Conn 
of the Hundred Battles, and Cormac MacArt. 

Ollamh Fodla, who reigned in the eighth century 
b, c, was a famous legislator. It is said that he es- 
tablished a national assembly or congress which met at 
Tara every third year. This representative body was 
composed of the druids, bards, brehons, princes, and 
the four provincial kings, and was presided over by 
the supreme monarch in person. f It regulated the 
public affairs of the whole island. Conary the Great 
reigned when our Blessed Eedeemer came into this 
sin-stained world. Conn of the Hundred Battles was 
a warrior of renown who died a. d. 212. 

But the greatest of the pagan monarch s was the 
Irish Solomon, Cormac MacArt, who came to the 
throne in a. d. 254, and reigned for twenty-three 
years. He revised, purified, and condensed the an- 
cient laws of the nation and formed them into a code 
of jurisprudence — the Brehon Laws — which remained 
in force for more than a thousand years. J He had the 
annals of the country from the earliest period col- 
lected into a work called the Psalter of Tara. He en- 
couraged learning by establishing a military academy 
and two colleges — one for the study of law, and an- 
other for history. He reconstructed the famed pal- 
ace at Tara, and just before his death this wise and 
brilliant man wrote an Advice to Princes, a work ad- 
dressed to his son and successor. To this day the 
reign of Cormac remains in the Irish mind as a beau- 

* Pronounced ollave. 

t Ireland was anciently divided into five states or kingdoms, 
lhe supreme monarch was styled Ard-ri (High King) in the Irish 
language. 

t In some parts of Ireland it regi^ated the dealings between 
man and man as late as the reign of James I, of England. 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. &0j 

tiful memory; and the intelligent peasant, in con- 
trasting it with his own unhappy time, will give a 
snatch from an old poem, the first stanza of which 
begins— 

"In the reign of Cormac, the son of Art, 
A life of joy and plenty cheered each heart ; 
For ninescore nuts in a fair cluster grew, 
And with ninescore clusters the branch bent too." 

3. Christian Ireland. — But the most important 
event in the early history of Ireland is the introduc- 
tion of the Christian religion in A. d. 432 by the great 
St. Patrick. Years before he had been a shepherd on 
the hills of Antrim, but now he came as an apostle 
with the staff of Jesus in his hand. He was sent to 
the Irish by Pope St. Celestine, just as, over a cen- 
tury and a half later, St. Augustine was sent to the 
Anglo-Saxons by Pope Gregory the Great. St. Pat- 
rick's mission was blessed with marvellous success. 
The nation cast away its heathen prejudices. King 
and prince, bard and brehon, bowed to the cross. It 
was a peaceful and glorious revolution, which placed 
Ireland on the road to true greatness. Countless 
churches and monasteries sprang up, schools and col- 
leges were founded, and in less than a century after 
the death of St. Patrick, Ireland w T as known as the 
light of Europe, "the holy isle of saints and sages." 

The Irish golden age covered the sixth, seventh, 
and eighth centuries. "It has been said/' says the 
Count de Montalembert, "and cannot be sufficiently 
repeated, that Ireland was then regarded by all Chris- 
tian Europe as the principal centre of knowledge and 
piety. In the shelter of its numberless monasteries a 
crowd of missionaries, doctors, and preachers were 
educated for the service of the Church and the propa- 
gation of the faith in all Christian countries. A vast 
and continual development of literary and religious 



302 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

effort is there apparent, superior to anything that 
could be seen in any other country of Europe." 

4. The Irish Schools. — The most celebrated of 
the Irish schools were Armagh, Clonard, Derry, Dur- 
row, Clonmaenoise, Lismore, Clonfert, and Bangor. 
The lasi-named school had 3,000 students. Armagh 
at one time could boast of 7,000 students. And Clo- 
nard, the alma mater of St. Columbkille, was the fa- 
mous monastic school of which Ussher, the learned 
Protestant, wrote that "saints came out of it in as 
great numbers as Greeks of old from the sides of the 
horse of Troy." "The science and Biblical knowl- 
edge which fled from the continent," says the Eng- 
lish historian Green, "took refuge in famous schools 
which made Durrow and Armagh the universities of 
the West." 

The Irish monastic schools were open to all. The 
poor and the rich, the slave as well as the freeman, 
the child as well as the old man, had free access and 
paid nothing. In them "were trained an entire pop- 
ulation of philosophers, writers, architects, carvers, 
painters, caligraphers, musicians, poets, and histor- 
ians; but, above all, of missionaries and preachers, des- 
tined to spread the light of the Gospel and of Chris- 
tian education, not only in all the Celtic countries, of 
which Ireland was always the nursing mother, but 
throughout Europe, among all the Teutonic races— 
among the Franks and Burgundians, who were al- 
ready masters of France, as well as amid the dwellers 
by the Rhine and Danube, and up to the frontiers of 
Italy."* 

5. The Early Irish Missionaries. — Among the 
famous Irishmen Avho carried the light of the Gospel 



* Montalembert. 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



303 



and the blessings of Christian education and civiliza- 
tion over Europe were St. Columbkille, St. Colum- 
banus, St. Gall, St. Aidan, St. Maildubh, St. Cuth- 
bert, St. Killian, and St Donatus. St. Columbkille, 
the great abbot of Iona,* was the apostle of Scotland. 
St. Columbanus became the apostle of eastern France, 
where he founded the famous monastery of Luxeuil. 
He afterwards passed to Italy, and established the 
monastery of Bobbio, where he died. St. Gall con- 
verted Switzerland, and his name yet blesses a Can- 
ton. St. Aidan founded the great monastery of Lin- 
disf arne, and with his monks converted northern Eng- 
land. St. Maildubh established the celebrated Abbey 
of Malmesbury, where he taught St. Aldhelm, the first 
of the Anglo-Saxons, it will be remembered, that 
wrote in Latin. St. Cuthbert was an apostolic light 
in northern England. St. Killian died for the faith 
in Germany. He is honored as the apostle of Ba- 
varia. St. Donatus became bishop of Fiesole in Italy. 
In short, the early Irish missionary traversed sea and 
land, carrying with him the sacred torch of religion. 
Germany honors one hundred and fifty-six Irish 
saints, thirty-six of whom were martyrs, who labored, 
lived, and died there. Forty-five Irish saints find a 
place in the calendar of France. Forty-four Irish 
saints are venerated in England. Belgium honors 
thirty Irish saints ; Italy, thirteen ; Norway and Ice- 
land, eight — the last all martyrs. 

6. A Picture of Ireland in the Seventh Cen- 
tury.— Ireland was then a happy, prosperous, and in- 
dependent nation. It was the school of Europe. 1 1 
was the insula sanctorum,. Students flocked to it from 
all parts. "The Anglo-Saxons/' says Camden, "went 
in those times to Ireland, as if to a fair, to purchase 



* See quotation from Johnson about Iona, p. 224. 



304 



LESSONS IX ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



knowledge, and we often find, in our authors, that if 
a person were absent, it was generally said of him, by 
way of a proverb, that he was sent to Ireland to re- 
ceive his education/'* The best picture of Ireland in 
those bright ages has been left us by a royal Saxon 
student, Prince Alfred, who became" king of North- 
nmbria in 685. He spent several years in the 
schools of Ireland, studying philosophy and the sci- 
ences, and in travelling through the country ; and he 
then wrote a famous poem in'fifteen four-lined stan- 
zas, giving an account of what lie saw.f The follow- 
ing is a translation : 

"I found in Innisfail the fair. 
In Ireland, while in exile there 
Women of worth, both grave and gay men, 
Many clerics and many laymen. 

"I travelled its fruitful provinces round, 
And in every one of the five I found, 
Alike in church and in palace-hall, 
Abundant apparel and food for all. 

"Gold and silver I found, and money, 
Plenty of wheat and plenty of honey ; 
1 found God's people rich in pity, 
*ound many a feast and many a city. 

"I found in Armagh, the splendid, 
Meekness, wisdom, and prudence blended, 
pasting as Christ hath recommended 
And noble counsellors untranscended. 

"L£ 0T I5 d in eacb £ reat church moreo'er, 
Whether on island or on shore 
Piety, learning, fond affection, 
Holy welcome and kind protection. 

' Fv2? n K d the sood lay monks and brothers 
AinH .beseeching help for others, 
pSJ m 5 eir kee P in & the holy word 
Pure as it came from Jesus the Lord 



Gre<n m ° ng th ° Se Wh0 were thus sent t0 Ireland was Alfred the 

EnUsh e bv W th°^n, iS . POem T ^ ? rish ' lt was firs t translated into 
183 " ThP vP?«£l US £ r ° US l rish scholar > Dr. John O'Donovan, in 
Mangan g above is a later one b < v James Clarence 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



305 



I found In Minister, unfettered of any 
Kings, and queens, and poets so many—' 
Poets well skilled in music and measure 
Prosperous doings, mirth and pleasure.' 

"I found in Connaught the just, redundance 
Of riches, milk in lavish abundance : 
Hospitality, vigour, fame, 
In Cruachan's land of heroic name. 

"I found in Ulster, from hill to glen, 
Hardy warriors — resolute men ; 
Beauty that bloomed when youth was gone, 
And strength transmitted from sire to son. 

"I found in Leinster the smooth and sleek, 
From Dublin to Slewmargv's peak — 
Flourishing pastures, valour, health, 
Long-living worthies, commerce, wealth. 

"I found in Meath's fair principality, 
Virtue, vigour, and hospitality : 
Candour, joyfulness. bravery, "purity — - 
Ireland's bulwark and security. 

"I found strict morals in age and youth, 
I found historians recording truth ; 
The things I sing of in verse unsmooth, 
I found them all — I have written sooth." 



7. The Danish Invasion. — The beauty of this 
matchless picture of peace and piety was soon to be 
sadly marred. Ireland was the only nation in Europe 
whose soil had never been pressed by the foot of a 
Eoman soldier. But a wilder race of warriors were 
now roving the seas. About the year 800 the Danes 
made their appearance. Those barbarous new-com- 
ers burned monasteries, destroyed libraries, sacked 
churches, murdered women and priests, and obtained 
a foothold on the sea-coasts. They were demons of 
destruction. At Bangor, for instance, they pillaged 
the celebrated abbey, and murdered the bishop and 
900 monks. Before the dangers and troubles of a 
long period of such merciless warfare, the School of 
the West of Europe, the abode of learning and sanc- 
tity, dwindled away; and it had fallen into complete 
decay before Brian Born, on Good Friday, in the year 



306 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



1014, finally subdued the Danish invaders, at the fa- 
mous battle of Clontarf.* 

Brian the Brave holds the same place in the mem- 
ory of his nation that Alfred the Great won in Eng- 
land by similar services; and even to-day wherever 
enterprise and industry seek new homes — among the 
cities of New York or Pennsylvania, on the banks of 
the Mississippi, or among the gold-fields of Australia 
— you can recognize a settlement of Irish by the rude 
effigy of a royal warrior carrying in one hand a cross, 
and in the other the sword which scattered the north- 
ern pirates, f 

8. The Origin of Irish Surnames. — In ancient 
times there were no surnames. But to preserve the 
more correctly the history and genealogy of the dif- 
ferent clans, Brian Boru made a law that every family 
in Ireland should adopt a particular surname. Each 
family was at liberty to select a surname from some 
particular ancestor, and commonly chose for the pur- 
pose a chief of their race famous for his valor, wis- 
dom, or piety. Some prefixed Mac, which means son, 
as MacMahon — that is, the son of -Marion; while oth- 
ers selected TJa, which has been Anglicized O'.and sig- 
nifies grandson or descendant, as O'Neill — that is, 
the grandson or descendant of Mall. Thus, according 
to the old verse, the Irish have no surnames without 
the Mac and the 0' : 

"By Mac and O' you'll always know 
True Irishmen, they sav ; 
But when they lack the O' and Mac 
No Irishman are they."$ 



About 20 supreme monarchs reigned in Ireland from the in- 
troduction of the Christian religion to the battle of Clontarf. 
Many of them were true kings — men of worth, learning, and 

P i°t y - u^ or i? ld IIL and Nei11 IL monks at Iona. Six mon- 

archs had the name of Hugh. 

t3i+t 5 ? ir J C «° 3 - Puffy.— It is worthy of note that the English king 
utnelred fled to Normandy in despair, and that the Danes took 
possession of England, the very year that Brian Boru crushed 
th ^r barbarous Power in Ireland. 
jO'Hart. 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



9. The Anglo-Norman Invasion.— Centuries of 
warfare with the Danes had, it is sad to say, demor- 
alized Ireland; and its political system had by degrees 
lost all cohesion. The idea of a common national in- 
terest or a central national authority came to be wholly 
discarded. Each provincial king fought for his own 
hand. The post of supreme monarch was claimed by 
various competitors in reckless and exhausting con- 
tests that bathed the island in blood. 

As we have already learned in Book I., the Normans 
had become masters of England, and by the middle 
of the twelfth century they had consolidated their new 
kingdom, while Ireland had been steadily falling into 
fragments. At this very time, unhappily, an event 
occurred that presented an opportunity for English 
interference. A nation is like a house; and every 
house divided against itself shall fall. Dermot Mac- 
Mur rough, the worthless king of Leinster, having 
been expelled from the country for his crimes and 
tyranny, fled to the king of England for assistance. 
The traitor threw himself at the feet of Henry II., 
and offered to hold his dominions as a vassal of the 
English crown if the needed aid were furnished for 
his restoration. Henry, who was then in France, 
gladly accepted the proffered fealty, and gave the 
Irish prince letters-patent to raise forces. Dermot 
beat up recruits. He was soon surrounded by a large 
band of needy Norman adventurers. The chief of 
these was Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, com- 
monly known as Strongbow; and to him Dermol 
promised liis daughter Eva in marriage, on condition 
that he would raise an efficient body of troops and 
transport them into Ireland. It was done. Scenes 



308 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



of blood, butchery, and desecration followed. Water- 
ford, Dublin, and other important places fell into the 
hands of the English.* 

A few years later, in 1171, Henry II. followed with 
a large fleet and army. The Irish were divided among 
themselves. Rory O'Connor, the last supreme mon- 
arch of Ireland, was a brave man, but a poor leader. 
He lacked clear-headed vigor and promptitude of ac- 
tion. Besides, many of the Irish princes imagined 
that Henry was irresistible; and without a master- 
spirit to subdue their tribal jealousies, to arouse their 
patriotism, and to cement the discordant elements to- 
gether, united resistance was impossible. The Mini- 
ster princes an d chiefs were the first to pay homage to 
the English king. 0' Connor retired behind the Shan- 
non. The Ulster princes would have no dealings with 
the royal new-comer. 

The authority established by Henry was acknowl- 
edged in Dublin — where he fixed the seat of his gov- 
ernment — and in a limited territory beyond it known 
as the Pale; which, as the name implies, was a rudely 
fortified camp on a large scale, whose boundary shifted 
with circumstances. Beyond the English Pale, how- 
ever, there was little change. The native prince ruled 
his principalitv, and the native chief ruled his clan, as 
of old. 



* The death of the first Irish traitor is thus recorded in the 
Annals of the Four Masters : "a. d. 1171. Dermot MacMurrough, 
King of Leinster, by whom a trembling sod was made of all Ire- 
land—after having brought over the Saxons, after having done 
extensive injuries to the Irish, after plundering and burning 
many churches— died before the end of a vear of an insufferable 
and unknown disease : for he became putrid while living through 
the miracle of God, Columbkille, Finnian. and other saints of 
Ireland, whose churches he had profaned and burned some time 
berore ; and he died at Fearnamor without making a will, with- 
out Penance, without the Body of Christ, without unction— as his 
evil deeds deserved," 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



309 



10. The Beginning of English Misrule. — The 
English had now a foothold in Ireland. Henry II., 
the virtual murderer of St. Thomas & Becket, was one 
of the most unscrupulous monarchs that ever wore a 
crown. He introduced the feudal system — a handy 
system for royal robbers.* To it we may trace the 
origin of the "Land Question" — that unhappy ques- 
tion which has proved a stumbling-block to the peace 
of Ireland for over seven hundred years. He gener- 
ously parcelled out the whole island — to which he had 
no more right than he had to the moon — among his 
prominent followers. He conferred Meath on Hugh 
de Lacy. He gave all Connaught to William Fitzald- 
helm de Burgo. He presented Ulster to John de 
Courcy^ if he could take it;f and, finally, he made the 
magnificent grant of all Ireland to his worthless son 
John. And thus opens the sad story of English mis- 
rule and robbery in the land of St. Patrick — the once 
famous insula sanctorum. % 

Henceforth the state of Ireland was more or less 
one of chronic wretchedness. The seeds of discord 



* The theory of the feudal system was that all the soil belonged 
to the king, who had accordingly the right to make grants of 
tracts of land in his discretion to his followers, to be held by 
them upon condition of their rendering him the services of them- 
selves and their retainers in the field whenever he should require 
them. * * * This svstem could not be applied to Ireland, where 
the tribal svstem prevailed, without revolutionizing the whole 
structure of 'societv ; and its application was, in the eyes of the 
Irish, nothing but a high-handed invasion of the rights of 
propertv. and an act of shameful injustice. — C. G. Mai pole. 

"Under the Celtic tenure," says Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, a 
chief was onlv joint owner with the clan." 

t This John de Courcy thought he would try his fortune in 



Ulster in 1178, and the Irish annals tell the result : John and 
his English were defeated with great slaughter, but he himself 
escaped! and arrived in Dublin covered with wounds. Latei on, 
however, he had greater success. nf ,/, r 

± The death of Stronghoiv is thus recorded m the Annals o) the 
Foiir Masters : 'a. d. 1176. The English Earl. ^±^\f t ^ 
an ulcer that broke out on his foot This was attributed to th 
miracles of St. Brigid and St. Columbkille, and of the ottersaint 
whose churches he had plundered, and he was heard to sa> thai 
he saw St. Brigid killing him." 



310 



LESSONS m ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



were sown broadcast. There was constant warfare 
between the Irish and the Anglo-Norman settlers, and 
often between the Irish princes themselves. But slow 
was the progress of conquest. One hundred years 
after the English invasion scarcely a third of the is- 
land was in the hands of the invaders. The Irish, as 
is the case with all superior races, had the magic 
power of absorbing and assimilating the new-comers 
to themselves. The Anglo-Norman lords and their 
followers intermarried with the natives, adopted their 
language, laws, and customs; and, in the course of 
time, their descendants, it is said, became "more Irish 
than the Irish themselves." 

11. The Statute of Kilkenny. — The English 
authorities resolved to crush out such a promising 
state of things. It was dangerous to their amiable 
"divide-and-conquer" policy in Ireland; and the in- 
famous code known as the Statute of Kilkenny be- 
came a law in 1367. Among its enactments were: 
(1) Any alliance with the Irish by marriage was to be 
punished as an act of high treason ; (2) Any English- 
man taking an Irish name, or using the Irish dress or 
language, should forfeit all his land; (3) The English 
were forbidden to admit any Irish into their convents 
and monasteries. The result of this unchristian code 
was to f 11 Ireland with hatred, riots, and civil war. 
The "mere Irishman" was to be dealt with as one who 
had no rights in his own country. He was to be ex- 
terminated.* 

But while the Irish might be insulted, they could 
neither be conquered nor exterminated. Several Irish 



* Donald O'Neill. King of Ulster, and other Irish princes, bore 
witness to the truth of the following in 1318 : 

"They [the English] heretically maintain, not their laymen or 
seculars merely, but even some of their ecclesiastics, that it is no 
greater sin to kill an Irishman than a dog or any other brute 
beast. 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 3H 

princes led their hardy legions to victory, and pun- 
ished the bigoted, brutal creatures who had enacted 
the Statute of Kilkenny. Years passed on. English 
power diminished. Castle after castle and town after 
town, as Sir Charles Gavan Duffy well remarks, pulled 
down the banner of St. George. When Henry VIII. 
was jousting in the Field of the Cloth of Gold within 
the English Pale in France, the English Pale in Ire- 
land, which had once embraced six counties and 
stretched its offshoots deep into the South and deep 
into the North, was a territory which might be con- 
veniently inspected in a morning's ride from Dublin 
Castle. 

12. The Protestant Eeformation. — The black- 
est clouds of misfortune arose, so to speak, from the 
sea of religious corruption in England, and their 
fateful shadows fell upon Ireland. The Reformation 
came. But Henry VIII. utterly failed to introduce 
his new religion into the land of St. Columbkille and 
Brian Bora. In 1535, however, he appointed George 
Brown, an apostate priest, first Protestant Archbishop 
of Dublin. The royal robber seized many abbeys, con- 
vents, and monasteries; but the faithful Irish re- 
garded his irreligious schemes with horror.* 

The religious quarrel now added a new element of 
bitterness and brutality to English misrule in Ireland. 
One of the first acts of Elizabeth was to order all per- 
sons, under pain of fine and imprisonment, to attend 
Protestant places of worship. This was a high-handed 
outrage on the faith and freedom of the Irish people. 
It was manfully resented. The outcome was rebel- 
lion, massacre, and a series of wars unparalleled for 



* It was the apostate Brown that burned the most celebrated 
religions relic in Ireland — the crozier of St. Patrick, known as tne 
Staff of Jesus. 



312 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



barbarity in the annals of history. Shane O'Neill, of 
Ulster, was crushed, and his territory confiscated. 
The old plan of planting the country with English 
settlers was revived. The Earl of Desmond was easily 
goaded into rebellion, and then defeated by an ap- 
palling system of armed ferocity. The southern por- 
tion of the island was reduced to a wilderness. Fire 
and sword left nothing untouched or undestroyed. 
Half a million acres of land were confiscated, and 
handed over to needy English adventurers.* The 
soldiers of Elizabeth spared no human being. "Many 
women/*' says Lombard, "were found hanging on 
trees with their children at their breasts, strangled 
by the mother's hair." Nor did this murderous war- 
fare cease during the whole reign. O'Neill, O'Don- 
nell, O'Kane, Maguire, and other princes of Ulster — 
the last stronghold of Irish independence — made a 
noble stand, and battled with the heroism of true 
patriots for their faith and fatherland. In short, the 
reign of Elizabeth was one long effort to root out the 
Catholic religion and to exterminate the Irish race. 
Did she succeed? It is true that thousands of Irish 
perished. The island was drenched in the blood of 
its best and bravest sons ; but at the death of Eliza- 
beth, "after nearly one hundred years of Protestant- 
ism, only sixty Irishmen of all classes had received 
the new religion."f 

James I. attempted to ram the odious new creed 
down the throats of the Irish people at the point of 
the sword. He laid the hand of a robber on the soil. 
He confiscated six counties in Ulster, containing 
3,800,000 acres. The land was thus stolen from the 



* Among these were Edmund Spenser, the poet, who got 3,000 
acres; and Sir Walter Raleigh, who got 42.000 acres. 

f Not one of the sixty "converts" was a clansman — all belonged, 
to the titled classes, or were ecclesiastics. 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



313 



original Irish proprietors, who had been there since 
the Redemption of man, and given to a horde of 
hungry thieves, Scotch and English, who were "well 
affected in religion."* One of the king's chief agents 
in this gigantic piece of iniquity was Sir Arthur Chi- 
chester, who calmly wrote: "It is famine that musi 
consume, the Irish, as our swords and other endeavours 
work not that speedy effect which is expected." 

Charles I. continued the work of plunder and per- 
secution. The Catholics were hunted down like 
wolves, and Protestant new-comers were planted in 
their homes. Cromwell passed over Ireland like a 
demon of destruction. After butchering over 3,000 
persons at Drogheda, this merciless fanatic writes to 
England that it was done by "the spirit of God." The 
work of uprooting and exterminating the native in- 
habitants was continued with unspeakable ferocity. 
By an act of the English parliament, the people of 
Ulster, Leinster, and Munster were ordered, under 
the penalty of death, to cross the Shannon and "go to 
hell or Connaught" before May 1, 1654. "The or- 
der," says Walpole, "was proclaimed by beat of drum 
in the middle of harvest." The Irish were to be 
plucked out of the soil, root and branch. Over 
15,500,000 acres, or three-fourths of the island, were 
confiscated.t It is well known how the unfortunate 
James II. added to the calamities of Ireland. Then 
came William III. of Boyne celebrity, the violated 
Treaty of Limerick, the exile of the flower of Irish 
manhood, and the woeful exhaustion of a crushed and 
hapless nation. 



* Those Scotch and English colonists were styled "under- 
takers." 

'The colonists in Ulster," says Walpole, "were in a great mea 
sure the scum of both nations — debtors, bankrupts, and fugitives 
from justice." 

f Ireland contains 20,800,000 acres. 



314 LESSONS m ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



13. Eemarks on the Irish Language. — What we 
term the Gaelic Period of Literature in Ireland ex- 
tends from the introduction of Christianity to the 
year 1700; and from the dawn of history to the year 
1700 there was but one national language, and that 
was the Irish language. 

"The language which grows up with a people/' says 
Thomas Davis, "is conformed to their organs, descrip- 
tive of their climate, constitution, and manners, min- 
gled inseparably with their history and their soil, and 
is fitted beyond any other language to express their 
prevalent thoughts in the most natural and efficient 
way." 

"The Saxon and Norman colonists," continues the 
same writer, "melted down into the Irish and adopted 
all their ways and language. For centuries upon cen- 
turies Irish was spoken by men of all bloods in Ire- 
land, and English was unknown, save to a few citizens 
and nobles of the Pale." 

The following record in the Annals of the Four 
Masters is suggestive, as it refers to the head of a 
famous Anglo-Norman house: "a. d. 1398. Gerald, 
Earl of Desmond, a cheerful, polite man, who had 
excelled all the English of Ireland, and many of the 
Irish, in his knowledge of the Irish language, poetry, 
and history, and also in all the other literature of 
which he was possessed, died after the victorv of pen- 
ance." 

In those times, and even at a later period, accord- 
ing to Stanyhurst, the Irish held the unformed Eng- 
lish tongue in contempt. They are unwilling, he 
adds, as they say in derision, "to distort their chins 
by speaking English." When Shane O'Neill visited 
the court of Elizabeth, his interpreter was asked bv a 
citizen of London why the Irish prince did not speak 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 315 



English. "Think you," he replied, "it would become 
The O'Neill to twist his mouth with such a barbarous 
jargon I" 

The Irish language, however, suffered immensely 
from the persecution of those who spoke and wrote it. 
English law made it a crime to speak Irish. We have 
seen how it was proscribed in 1367, under Edward 
III., by the Statute of Kilkenny. Another hostile 
law was framed against it in 1537,' under Henry VIII. 
By destroying the Irish schools and monasteries, the 
"Reformers" drove it from the seats of learning;. 
When the last of the Irish princes perished, it was left 
without a patron ; and thus one of the most ancient 
and venerable languages of Europe sought refuge in 
the souls of a brave, faithful, and persecuted people. 

An acquaintance with the following short list of 
Irish words will prove useful l . 

Mac, son; as. MacDonald, that is, the son of Donald. 

Ua, Anglicized 0\ grandson, and, by an extension of meaning 
any descendant ; as, O'Brien, that is. the grandson of Brian. 

Mor (more), great; as. Dunmore, the great fort. 

Beag (beg), small, little; as, Ardbeg, the little height. 

Aed, high, a height ; as, Ardmore, great height. 

Clann, children, descendants, race; as. Clann-na-Gael, or the 
race of the Gael — the Irish race. 

Ri (ree), king; as, Ard-ri, high king. 

Lis, habitation ; as, Lismore, the great habitation. 

Baile (bally), a town; as, Ballymore, the great town; Ballu- 
killbeg, the town of the little church.* 

Gael (gail), an Irish Celt, or a Scottish Highlander of Celtic 
origin. 

Gaelic (ga'-lik), the Celtic language of the Irish and the High- 
land Scotch. t 



* One of our famous cities, Baltimore, takes its name from 
the Irish words Baile-an-tigh-mhoir, meaning "the town of the 
great house." Sir George Calvert derived his title of Lord Bal 
timore from the little seaport of Baltimore, in the south of 
Ireland. It has been rendered famous by Davis in his Sack of 
Baltimore, when 

"The yell of Allah broke above the prayer, and shriok. and roar 
Oh, blessed God ! the Algerine is lord of Baltimore !" 
f The Irish language may also be called the Gaelic language. 
The term Celtic has commonly a wider meaning than Irish or 
Gaelic. The Celtic languages comprise the Irish and the British 
branches. The Irish is subdivided into three dialects— -(a) the 



21 



316 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



Cill (kill), a church, a cloister; as, Kilpatrick, or Patrick's 
church ; Kilmore, the great church ; Kildare, the church of the 
oak. 

Dun, a fort, a fortified residence; as, Dun more, the great fort. 

Clon, a plain, a meadow; as, Clonard, the high plain ; Clonmel, 
the vale or plain of honey. 

Cxoc (knoc), a hill; as, Knocklayd, the broad hill. 

Tin or Tyr, a territory; as, Tyrone, or Owen's territory.* 

Leabhar (lev'ar), a book; as Leabhar Breac, the Speckled 
Book. 

Bard, a poet. 

Brf/hon, a judge, a professor of law. 

14. Remarks on Ancient Irish Literature, 
a. d. 432 to a. d. 1700. — The Irish possessed a peculiar 
literature, art, music, and poetry in which their very 
soul is portrayed, and which belongs exclusively to 
them. The literature was a perfect expression of the 
social state of the people. Each clan had its historian 
to record the most minute details of every-day history, 
as well as every fact of importance to the whole clan, 
and even to the nation at large : and thus we may see 
how literature with them grew naturally out of their 
social system. Each clan also had its bard and its 
brehomf History, poetry, and music entwined them- 
selves about everything in ancient Ireland.J 

The golden age of Irish literature opens with the 
introduction of the Christian religion, and closes with 



Irish proper or Irish Gaelic, (ft) the Scottish Gaelic, and (c) the 
Manx, or Irish dialect spoken in the Isle of Man. The British 
branch is subdivided into three dialects — (a) the Welsh, (b) the 
Cornish, and (c) the Breton, or language of Brittany. The Irish 
of Ireland is the oldest and purest form of Celtic. Irish proper 
? n . d , Scottish Gaelic are practically the same language, and an 
Irishman and a Scottish Highlander find no difficulty in con- 
versing together in Gaelic. But it is different when we come to 
the British branches. A Welshman cannot understand a Highl- 
ander or an Irishman. The Welsh language has an extensive 
literature. 

* The names of places in Ireland "are purely Celtic, with the 
exception of a thirteenth part, which are English and mostly 
of recent introduction." — Joyce, Irish Names of Places. 

i Bardism and Brehonism, like manv other offices in Ireland, 
were hereditary in certain families ; and each of the kings, 
princes, and chiefs had his own bards and brehons — O'Hart. 

$ Th6baud, The Irish Race 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



the Danish invasion. Then began a decline The 
fearful struggle with the fierce northern pirates cov- 
ered a period of over two hundred years. "The 
Danes," says O'Curry, "made it a special" part of their 
savage warfare to tear, burn, and drown— as it is ex- 
pressed—all books and records that came into their 
hands, in the sacking of churches and monasteries, 
and the plundering of the habitations of the chiefs 
and nobles." 

Armagh, the renowned ecclesiastical capital of Ire- 
land, was burned and sacked fully a dozen times be- 
tween the year 800 and the battle of Clontarf. The 
great schools of Clonfert and Glonmacnoise bore four 
or five sach terrible visitations during the same stormy 
period; in short, every distinguished monastic town 
in Ireland was plundered and burned by the Dane*. 
The destruction of Irish literature must have been im- 
mense. 

It is said that misfortune never comes alone, and the 
proverb finds a sad illustration in the history of Irish 
letters. The Anglo-Norman invasion followed soon 
after the expulsion of the Danes. "The protracted 
conflicts between the natives and their invaders," re- 
marks Prof. O'Curry, "were fatal not only to the 
vigorous resumption of the study of our language, 
but also to the very existence of a great part of our 
ancient literature. The old practice of reproducing 
our ancient books, and adding to them a record of 
such events as had occurred from the period of their 
first compilation, as well as the composition of new 
and independent works, was almost altogether sus- 
pended. And thus our national literature received a 
fatal check at the most important period of its devel- 
opment, and at a time when the mind of Europe was 



318 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



beginning to expand under the influence of new im- 
pulses.''* 

But the crowning calamity for Irish literature was 
the Protestant Reformation and the diabolical penal 
laws that followed. The monasteries and their pre- 
cious libraries were ruthlessly destroyed. The Irish 
bards ^ere hunted like wild beasts in the reign of 
Elizabeth, because they were true to their faith and 
their country. They could neither be bribed nor 
bought by English gold. That was their crime. They 
sang the hopes of Ireland in strains of misty song, 
which the circumstances and shrewdness of the people 
rendered transparent. When the sword of O'Neill 
was broken, the minstrelsy which had made it start 
from its scabbard still lived and moved the pulse of 
the nation. The warrior's strength dies with him; 
but the poet's power ever stirs like an immortal 
prophecy. The days of the bards, however, were num- 
bered. And thus when Shakespeare was stamping 
the seal of his bright genius on the English lan- 
guage and literature, the language and literature of 
unhappy Ireland were withering away under the 
deadly shade of persecution. 

The destruction of Irish literature in the seven- 
teenth century was truly lamentable. "Precious man- 
uscripts," says Father Thebaud, "were every day given 
to the flames and wantonly destroyed, seemingly for 
the mere pleasure of the destruction. A very few 
years would have sufficed to render the former history 
of the country a perfect blank. In no spot of the 
same size on earth had so many interesting books ever 
been written and treasured up." 



* Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish His- 
tory. 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



319 



But at this period the hand of God raised up a race 
of learned and patriotic Irishmen, who toiled like 
giants to save the scattered remains of Irish litera- 
ture from wholly perishing in the wreck of ages and 
by the hand of persecution. Brother Michael O'Clery 
and his companions gathered the old annals around 
them, and then wrote the famous Annals of the Four 
Masters; Father John Colgan compiled the Lives of 
the Irish Saints at Louvain, in Belgium; Rev. Dr. 
Geoffrey Keating prepared his History of Ireland 
"among the caves and woods of Tipperary, to which 
the proscription of Protestant persecutWhad driven 
the Catholic priest;" and the learned Duahl Mac- 
Firbis, though dogged by the penal laws, compiled the 
Chronicum Scotorum, the Booh of Pedigrees, and 
other valuable works. MacFirbis was the last regu- 
larly educated Irish antiquary and historian. All 
those writers flourished between a. d. 1620 and 1670. 

15. The Lost Books, and the Remains of Irish 
Literature. — From the Danish invasion down to the 
dark days of the English penal laws — a period of nine 
hundred years — the destruction of Irish literature 
scarcely ever ceased. It is a wonder that it did not all 
perish. Prof. O'Curry in his excellent work on The 
Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History de- 
votes the greater portion of the first lecture to the 
subject of the lost boohs. Three of these, whose names 
have come down to us, were works of great antiquity 
The Cuilmenn, The Psalter of Tara, and The Psalter 
of Cashel. 

The Cuilmenn was, it seems, the greatest literary 
treasure of ancient Ireland before the introduction of 
the Christian religion. The Psalter of Tara was a 
cyclopaedia of Irish history prepared by King Cormac 
MacArt and his bards, brehons, and historians in the 
third century. 



320 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



The Psalter of Cashel was from the pen of the 
venerable Cormac MacCullinan, archbishop of Cashel, 
who died in the year 903. It seems to have been an 
historical and genealogical compilation of large size 
and great diversity. 

But in spite of all destructive processes, the remains 
of Irish literature exhibit gigantic proportions. The 
quality, quantity, and variety astonish the scholars of 
our age. "Of Irish literature/' says Matthew Arnold, 
"the stock, printed and manuscript, is truly vast." 
Professor O'Curry's estimate is noteworthy. He takes 
the quarto page of Dr. O'Donovan's Annals of the 
Four Masters as the standard of measurement. Let 
us hear an English writer on the result. "Eugene 
O'Curry says/' continues Matthew Arnold, "that the 
great vellum* manuscript books belonging to Trinity 
College, Dublin, and to the Eoyal Irish Academy — 
books with fascinating titles — the Bool: of the Bun 
Cow, the Booh of Leinster, the Boole of Bally mote, the 
Speckled Boole, the Book of Lecan, the Yellow Book 
of Lecan — have, among them, matter enough to fill 
11,400 of these pages; the other vellum manuscripts 
in the library of Trinity College, Dublin, have matter 
enough to fill 8,200 pages more ; and the paper manu- 
scripts of Trinity College and the Eoyal Irish Acad- 
emy together would fill, he says, 30.000 pages more. 
The ancient laws of Ireland, the so-called Brehon 
laws, which a commission is now publishing, were not 
as yet completely transcribed when O'Curry wrote; 
but what had even then been transcribed was suffi- 
cient, he says, to fill nearly 8,000 of Dr. O'Donovan's 
pages." t 



* Vellum is a fine kind of skin rendered clear and white for 
riting. 

f The Study of Celtic Literature. 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



321 



It was stated on good authority, in 1875, that there 
were one thousand volumes of unpublished Irish manu- 
scripts in the libraries of Trinity College and the 
Eoyal Irish Academy, Dublin.* In short, the number 
of Irish books containing the Historic Tales alone is 
"so great that the authentic list of them far surpasses 
in length what has been preserved of the old Greek 
and Latin writers." 

The contents of those Irish manuscripts may be 
classified as follows: 1. Grammars and glossaries; 2. 
Annals, genealogies, and pedigrees; 3. Histories, in 
prose and verse ; 4. Mythological and other imagina- 
tive tales; 5. Lyric poetry; 6. Satires; 7. Eeligious lit- 
erature, including lives of the saints ; 8. Law ; 9. The 
sciences, including medicine; 10. Miscellaneous works, 
and translations from other languages. 

Among existing Irish manuscripts are some of the 
most remarkable illuminated books in Europe, such 
as the copy of the Gospel known as the Book of Kelts, 
which is considered by some scholars to be the work of 
St. Columbkille. These precious works are to be 
found chiefly in the old libraries of Italy, Switzerland, 
France, Belgium, and Germany. 



LESSON I. 

THE IRISH LANGUAGE. 

1. What name is given by philologists of the present day to 
the primitive language of man? 

The Aryan language. The word Aryan means h igh . 
noble, illustrious. 



* The greater portion of the most valuable M^. Irish books 
existence are to be found in fojir libraries—the : Royal «■* Ac* 
demv, Dublin; Trinity College, Dublin; the Bod eian Library 
Oxf6rd; and the British Museum, London The collection in tn< 
Royal Irish Academy is the largest ot all. 



322 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



2. What relation does the Irish language bear to the Aryan? 

It is a branch or dialect of the Aryan language. 
This is proved by comparative philology.* 

3. Which is probably the most ancient living language in 
Europe? 

The Irish language. 

4. How is that known? 

So far as history and philology can pronounce defi- 
nitely on a question that carries us back to the very 
dawn of ages, we learn that the Celts were among the 
first, if not the first, of the human family that entered 
Europe, and the Irish language is the oldest and pur- 
est dialect of the Celtic. f 

5. Mention some of the chief characteristics of the Irish 
language. 

The Irish is a language of rare grace, vigor, and 
soul-touching tenderness. It is expressive and beau- 
tiful. "If you plead for your life, plead in Irish/' is 
a well-known saying. An old English writer con- 
fesses that it "abounds in grandeur of words, har- 
mony of diction, and acuteness of expression/' 

6. What may be remarked of this ancient language in re- 
lation to poetry and music? 

The Irish language is soft, lively, and melodious, 
and, according to an eminent musical authority, those 
qualities make it admirably suited "for poetical and 
musical compositions — far superior either to the 
Latin or any of the modern tongues/' 

* All the languages of Europe. India, and Persia have, like 
branches from a parent trunk, sprouted forth from that ancient 
tree of prehistoric speech—the Aryan. See the Introduction to 
Chapter I., Book I. 

t The Celts seem to have been the first of the Aryans to arrive 
in Europe.. The pressure of subsequent migrations, particularly 
ol teutonic tribes has driven them towards the westernmost 
parts, and latterly from Ireland across the Atlantic. — Max. 
M tiiier. 

Moore says that the Celtic language was -the vehicle of the 
in st knowledge that dawned upon Europe," 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAXD. 323 
strume™ ^ ^ ° f the Irish " * literary in- 

This venerable language has been the polished me- 
dium of every form of literary composition, from the 
simple tale to the exquisite productions of the poel 
and the sententious wisdom of the philosopher. 

8. Of what practical value would a knowledge of the Irish 
language be to the scholar of our day? 

It would greatly aid in the labor of acquiring oth< r 
languages. The Irish is a primitive tongue, and, as 
such, it is the hey to a host of others* It would also 
throw open to its possessor a rich and varied litera- 
ture. 

9. What does Sir William Betham say of its value in the 
study of philology? 

"The Irish language," says Sir William Betham, 
"is a mine of philological wealth — a guide that will 
explain most of the difficulties which have hitherto 
so much obscured the history of the ancient peoples 
and languages of Europe." 

10. Which two members of the Aryan family most resem- 
ble each other? 

The Irish and the Latin.f 

11. Of the three ancient European languages, Irish, Latin, 
and Greek, which is the longest in Europe? 

The Irish, as it was the first to arrive in Europe, x 



* I think it a great pity that Irish is not more studied as a 
key to Greek and Latin and the modern dialects of Latin. One 
who knows Irish well will readily master Latin, French. Spanish. 
Italian, and Portuguese. — P. MacMahon, M. P. 

I would give a thousand dollars to be able to hoar confessions 
in the language of my fathers. — Bishop Lynch, of Charleston, 
8. C. 

f Many Latin words retain only secondary meanings where the 
primary ones are manifest in the Celtic. 

$ Irish is an older language than either the Latin or the 
Greek. "Comparative philology," says Canon Bourke, "furnishes 
abundant reasons to show that Irish is an older language than 
that in which Homer and Sappho or Virgil and Horace wove 
their wreaths of deathless song and story." 



324 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



12. In point of age and value, what is the rank of the Irish 
language as a member of the Aryan family? 

Irish is one of the oldest members of the Aryan 
family. It is the sister of Sanskrit, Latin, and Greek. 
In the field of philology its usefulness is admitted to 
be equal to that of Sanskrit.* 

13, In what language are some of the most ancient existing 
manuscripts in Europe written? 

The Irish. Sir William Betham truly says : "It is 
a singular fact, not generally known, that the most 
ancient European manuscripts now existing are in the 
Irish language, and that the most ancient Latin man- 
uscripts in Europe were written by Irishmen/' 



LESSOX II. 



THE IRISH BARDS. 



14. What branch of Irish literature has suffered most from 
tyranny and destruction? 

Poetry. The Irish annals record the names of 
scores of famous bards not one of w r hose poems has 
come down to our day.f 

15. Who was Ossian (Osh'an) ? 

Ossian was a famous warrior-poet, son of the cele- 
brated Finn MacCumhail,J and he is supposed to 



* In order to obtain anything like a correct notion of philology, 
and to be skilled in any fair way in comparative grammar, the 
student must learn either Sanskrit or Irish. He must learn some 
primitive language — one of those two. Canon Bourse, M.R.I. A. 

T The monk Columbkille was a poet. After Ossian, he opens 
the series of 200 Irish poets, whose memories and names, in de- 
fault of their works, have remained dear to Ireland. — Montalem- 
bert. 

X Pronounced Finn MacCoole. Finn was the son-in-law of 
King Cormac MacArt, and, according to the Annals of the Four 
Masters, died A. d. 283. 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



325 



have flourished about a. d. 300. He is commonly 
credited with the authorship of the Fenian Poems- 
but unhappily his works have come down to us only 
in fragments.* 

in IrelaTd? W " greatest poet of the earl y Christian period 

The illustrious St. Columbkille, who was at once 
prince and poet, monk and missionary. 

17. Mention some of his best known hymns and poems. 

The Alius, in twenty-two six-lined stanzas, the 
Noli Pater, and the In Te, Christe— three Latin 
hymns. The Alius is a magnificent composition. 
The Song of Trust, the Praise of St. Brigid, and 
other poems are written in the Irish language. f 

18. Mention an Irish poet of the ninth century who became 
Bishop of Fiesole in Italy. 

St. Donatus, who died about the year 863. One of 
this saint's poems contains the following beautiful 
stanza : 

"Far westward lies an isle of ancient fame, 
By nature blessed, and Scotia* is her name ; 
An island rich — exhanstless is her store 
Of veiny silver and of golden ore. 
Her fruitful soil forever teems with wealth, 
With gems her waters, and her air with health. 
Her verdant fields with milk and honey flow, 
While woolly fleeces vie with virgin snow." 



* The poems of Ossian — Fin' gal and Temora — which were pub- 
lished in 1762 and 1763 by James Macpherson, a Scotchman, as 
translations from Scottish Gaelic manuscripts as old as the 
fourth century, are now regarded as clever literary forgeries. 

t It is stated that St. Columbkille left 300 copies of the Veto 
Testament for his various churches, written by his own band. 

A precious collection of ancient Irish hymns, by various au- 
thors, is the Liber Hymnorum. "This beautiful manuscript." says 
Rev. Dr. Todd, "which cannot be assigned to a later date than 
the ninth or tenth century, may safely be pronounced one of the 
most venerable monuments of Christian antiquity now remaining 
in Europe." 

% The ancient name of Ireland. 



326 lessons m English literature. 



19. Who was Brian Boru's chief Bard? 

MacLiag, many of whose poems are still in exist- 
ence. 

20. Mention one of the most popular of MacLiag's poems. 

Kin cor a, a touching lament for the fallen condi- 
tion of Brian's famous palace of that name, after the 
monarch's death. It stood on the banks of the Shan- 
non.* The second stanza runs thus: 

"Oh, where, Kincora ! are thy valorous lords? 
Oh, where, thou Hospitable! are they gone? 
Oh, where are the Dalcassianst of the golden swords? 
And where are the warriors Brian led on?" 

21. What battle, fought in 1260, was the cause of two rare 
Irish poems still in existence? 

The battle of Downpatrick, fought between Brian 
O'Neill, King of Ulster, and the English. O'Neill 
and the flower of his army were slain. 

22. What two Irish poets commemorated that event in verse? 

MacNamee, Brian O'Neill's chief bard, and Mac- 
Ward, the bard of Tirconnell. MacNamee princi- 
pally deplores the death of O'Neill, whose virtues and 
heroism are praised at length. 

23. What is the burden of Mac Ward's poem? 

He chiefly laments the loss of his foster-brother, 
Manus O'Kane, head of the famous Ulster family of 
that name. 

"If Brian was not in the slaughter, 
There would be no loss like 0'Kane."$ 



* Moore has a beautiful reference to Kincora : 
"Remember the glories of Brian the Brave, 
Though tne days of the hero are o'er ; 
Though lost to Mononia. and cold in the grave, 
He returns to Kincora no more !" 
t The Dalcassians were Brian's body-guard. 
% In recording the battle of Downpatrick, the Annals of the 
lour Masters say: "Fifteen chiefs of the family of O'Kane were 
slam on the field." 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



24. Who was John O'Dugan? 

John O'Dugan, the chief bard of The O'Kelly, was 
the author of a lengthy, valuable Topographical ami 
Historical Poem, which is still extant, and which has 
been translated into English. O'Dugan died a.d. 13 ; 2. 

25. What remarkable Irish poem of the seventeenth century, 
written by the last bard of Tirconnell, Owen Roe Mac Ward, do 
we still possess? 

The Lament for the Princes — an elegy on the 
death of O'Neill and O'Donnell. It was addressed 
to OTDonnelPs sister, Nuala. Lord Jeffrey, the Brit- 
ish critic, was a great admirer of this famous poem, 
the first stanza of which, as translated by Mangan, 
opens thus : 

"O woman of the piercing wail. 
Who mournest o'er yon mound of clay 
With sigh and groan, 
Would God thou wert among the Gael ! 
Thou wouldst not then from day to day 
W r eep thus alone." 

26. Mention another eminent Irish bard of the seventeenth 
century. 

Rory Ball O'Kane* 

27. Who is commonly considered the last and greatest of 
the Irish bards? 

Torlough O'Carolan, who was justly celebrated for 
his musical and poetical genius. As he felt his end 
approaching, he called for his harp and played his 
famous Farewell to Music in a strain of tenderness 
that drew tears from the listeners. He then breathed 
a prayer, and died, in 1737. 

* Rory Dall O'Kane, a celebrated minstrel and author of some 
of the most beautiful strains that ever sounded on the harp 
Ireland, was a member of the ancient sept of the. O Kanes oi 
Kienachta (in Derrv). He is the same person who is so famous 
}„ 2 a :£™ i„ J^t Hi ^ «o,™ nf Row Dall Morrison, and whom 




Journal o/ Archaeology, Vol.' IV, 



328 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



LESSON III. 

IRISH ANNALS AND HISTORIES. 

Chief works : (1) The Wars of the Danes icith the Irish.* 

(2) The Annals of Tighernach (nearly teer'nah) 

(3) The Annals of Innisf alien. 

(4) The Annals of Ulster* 

(5) The Annals of Loch Ce (key)* 

(6) Keating' s History of Ireland * 

(7) MacFirbis's Chronicle of the Irish.* 

(8) MacFirbis's Book of Genealogies.* 

(9) Lynch's Cambrensis Eversus* 
(10) The Annals of the Four Masters* 

28. Give a brief description of the contents of the work en- 
titled The Wars of the Danes with the Irish. 

It is an ample account of the dreadful warfare that 
covers the long unhappy period of the Danish inva- 
sions, and the final and complete overthrow of the 
fierce Northmen. It was written in the twelfth cen- 
tury. 

29. Who was Tighernach (teer'nah) 1 

Tighemach, a gifted, holy, and learned abbot of the 
celebrated monastery of Clonmacnoise, was one of the 
very greatest of the Irish annalists. He died in the 
year 1088. 

30. What period do the Annals of Tighernach cover? 

The Annals of Tighernach sweep over the history 
of Ireland, and many other countries, from the ear- 
liest times down to the days of the venerable author, 
arid form the most important historical composition 
of Ireland in the middle ages. 

31. What is the Annals of Innisf alien? 

The Annals of Innisf alien is a short general historv 
of the world down to the introduction of the Chris- 



* There is an English translation. 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



tian religion into Ireland; and from that to the year 
1319, when it ends, it is a brief chronicle of Irish 
affairs. 

32. Describe the work called the Annals of Ulster. 

^ The Annals of Ulster, a great body of Irish na- 
tional records^ is so called because it was written in 
Ulster, and relates more to the affairs of Ulster than 
to those of any other portion of Ireland. It begins at 
A. d. 444, and is carried down to the sixteenth cen- 
tury. The author was Charles Maguire, a learned 
and saintly priest, who died in 1498. 

33. Give a brief account of the Annals of Loch Ce (key). 

The Annals of Loch Ce is a chronicle of Irish af- 
fairs from the battle of Clontarf, a. d. 1014 to A. d. 
1590. The account of the battle of Clontarf contains 
many interesting details not to be found in any of the 
other Annals now in existence. 

34. Who was Keating and when did he write his History of 
Ireland ? 

Dr. Geoffrey Keating was a learned and patriotic 
Irish priest who wrote a valuable History of Ireland 
among the hills of Tipperary, about the year 1625. 
It was written in the common Irish of the seventeenth 
century. 

35. Give a brief description of the Chronicle of the Irish* 
and the Book of Genealogies by MacFirbis. 

The first is a chronicle of Irish affairs from the ear- 
liest times to a. d. 1131; and the second is a vasl 
work, giving the pedigrees of all the Celtic Irish fami- 
lies. 

36. What is the nature of the work entitled Cambrensis 
Eversus, and who wrote it? 

Cambrensis Eversus (The Welshman Overthrown) 



* Called in the original the Chronicum Scotonon. 



330 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



is a triumphant refutation of the shameful libels of 
Giraldus Cambrensis on Ireland. Cambrensis, the 
foul, malicious libeller of the Irish, was a British 
ecclesiastic who wrote shortly after the English inva- 
sion. The author of Cambrensis E versus, which, as 
its name indicates, was written in Latin, was John 
Lynch, a learned and patriotic Irish bishop of the 
seventeenth century. 

37. Which is the greatest and most comprehensive of all 
the Irish annals? 

The Annals of the Four Masters, which begins at 
the earliest period and comes down year by year to 
a. d. 1616. The last record is the death of the illus- 
trious Hugh O'Neill. 

38. Why is this great work called the Annals of the Four 
Masters? 

Because it was written by four eminent Irish his- 
torians, masters in antiquarian lore — Michael O'Clery, 
Conary O'Clery, Peregrine O'Clery, and Ferfeasa 
O'Muichonry. The chief of these was Michael O'Clery. 
The Annals of the Four Masters was finished in 1636. 

39. Which is the best English translation of the Annals of 
the Four Masters? 

That by Dr. John O'Donovan, in seven large quarto 
volumes, first published in 1848, reprinted in 1851.* 



* "We regard the Annals of the Four Masters as the largest 
collection of national, civil, military, and family history ever 
brought together in this or perhaps any other country." — Prof. 

0' Curry. 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



331 



LESSON" IV . 

ANCIENT IRISH BIOGRAPHY. 

Chief works: (1) The Confession of St. Patrick. 

(2) St. Fiacc's Metrical Life of St. Patrick. 

(3) St. Evin's Tripartite Life of St. Pat rid:. 

(4) St. Adamnan's Life of St. Columbldlle. 

(5) Colgan's Lives of the Irish Saints. 

40. What is the Confession of St. Patrick? 

It may be described as a brief, humble autobiog- 
raphy of the great Apostle of Ireland, who died a. d. 
465. 

41. Who was St. Fiacc? 

St. Eiacc, a famous bard, was converted by St. 
Patrick, and afterwards became first Bishop of Lein- 
ster. He was the father of Christian biography in 
Ireland. 

42. What is his Metrical Life of St. Patrick? 

It is a brief eulogistic sketch of the Apostle of Ire- 
land in thirty-four four-lined assonating stanzas. The 
twelfth stanza runs thus : 

"Renowned was St. Patrick through life, 
And of Error he was a dire foe ; 
Hence forever his name shall be grand 
Among the nations, as ages shall flow. 

43. What can you say of St. Evin's Tripartite Life of St. 
Patrick, and why was it so named? 

The Tripartite Life is one of the most remarkable 
literary monuments of ancient Irish Church history. 
The book derives its name from the fact thai il is 
divided into three parts. The author, St. Evm, wrote 
in the sixth century. 



* As this was written 1400 years ago, the last two li: 
truly prophetic. 

22 



332 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

44. Is the Life of St. Columbkille by St. Adamnan a valu- 
able work? 

It is a work of great value — an inestimable literary 
relic of the ancient Irish Church. St. Adamnan was 
the cousin and ninth successor of St. Columbkille, as 
abbot of Iona. He died in 704. 

45. Who was Father John Colgan? 

He was a learned and patriotic Franciscan, who has 
forever made Irish literature his debtor by his Lives 
of the Irish Saints. Colgan died in the year 1658. 



LESSON" V. 

MISCELANEOUS ANCIENT IRISH BOOKS. 

Chief works: (1) The Book of the Dun Coio. 

(2) The Book of Leinster. 

(3) The Book of Armagh. 

(4) The Book of Ballymote. 

(5) The Speckled Book. 

(6) The Yellow Book of Lecan. 

(7) The Cattle Spoil of Cooley.* 

46. What is the Book of the Dun Cow? 

The Booh of the Dun Cow is the most ancient work 
existing in the Irish language, but only a splendid 
fragment of it remains. It is a precious collection of 
tales, poetry, and history. It was written by Msel- 
muiri, who died in 1106. 

47. Give a brief description of the contents of the Book of 
Leinster. 

The Boole of Leinster is a collection of historical 
tracts, tales, poems, and genealogies, which give pic- 
tures of social life in ancient Ireland. The compiler 
was Finn MacGorman, Bishop of Kildare, who died in 
the year 1160. 



* There is an English translation, 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



48. What is the Book of Armagh 1 

The Book of Armagh is a religious work, contain- 
ing the life of St. Patrick, the Confession of St. Pat- 
rick, the life of St. Martin of Tours, and a large por- 
tion of the New Testament. It was compiled by Fer- 
domnach in the year 807. 

49. What is the Book of Ballymote? 

The Booh of Ballymote is a large historical, bio- 
graphical, and genealogical compilation, and is the 
work of several hands. Portions of it were written 
about the year 1590.* 

50. What is the Speckled Book? 

According to Dr. Petrie, the Speckled Book is the 
oldest and best Irish manuscript relating to church 
history now preserved.! 



* "The Book of Ballymote." says Professor Eugene O'Curry. 
"begins with an imperfect copy of the ancient Leabhar Oabhdla, 
or Book of Invasions of Erin, differing in a few details from other 
copies of the same tract. This is followed by a series of ancient 
chronological, historical, and genealogical pieces in prose and 
verse. Then follow the pedigrees of Irish saints ; the history 
and pedigrees of all the great families of the Milesian race, with 
the various minor tribes and families which have branched off 
from them in the succession of ages; so that there scarcely 
exists an O* or a Mac at the present day who may not find in this 
book the name of the particular remote ancestor whose name he 
bears as a surname, as well as the time at which he lived, what 
he was, and from what ancient line he was descended. These 
genealogies may appear unimportant to ordinary readers; but 
those who have essayed to illustrate any branch of the ancient 
historv of this country, and who could have availed themselves 
of them, have found in them the most authentic, accurate, and 
important auxiliaries — in fact, a history which has remained so 
long unwritten as that of ancient Erin could never be satisrac 
torily compiled at all without them."— Lectures on the Mann 
script Materials of Ancient Irish History. 

f This venerable book is thus described by Professor O ( urr.v : 
"The volume is written in a most beautiful style of penmansnip, 
on fine large folio vellum. The contents are all. with one excep- 
tion, of a religious character, and all, or nearly all, In the purest 
style of Gaelic. Many of the tracts are translations and nana 
tives from the Latin. Among these are found a Scripture na 
rative from the creation to Solomon ; the birth, life, passion, and 
resurrection of our Lord; and the lives and nan ne J of death of 
several of the apostles; various versions of the flnaiug 01 



334 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



51. What is the Yellow Book of Lecanl 

The Yellow Booh of Lecan is a great work, a por- 
tion of which has perished. In its original form it 
seems to have been a valuable collection of ancient 
historical pieces, civil and ecclesiastical, in prose and 
verse. 

52. What is the Cattle Spoil of Cooley?* 

The Cattle Spoil of Cooleij is a famous historic tale, 
which has been styled the great epic of Ireland. The 
wild events described in it are supposed to have taken 
place about the beginning of the Christian era.f 



Cross, etc. There are, besides these sen-oral pieces, ancient ser- 
mons or homilies for certain days and periods of the year — such 
as sermons for Lent, Palm-Sunday, Easter Sunday. Pentecost, on 
the institution of the Holy Eucharist, and others of a similar 
kind. In these sermons the Scripture text is always given in 
Latin, and then freely and copiously expounded and commented 
on in pure Gaelic ; and in the course of these expositions various 
commentators are often mentioned and quoted. Besides those 
sermons, there are many small tracts on moral subjects, illus- 
trative of the divine teachings of our Lord. St. Sechn'all's Hymn, 
in praise of his uncle St. Patrick, is also to be found there, as 
well as the celebrated Altus of St. Columbkille, etc., etc." — 
Lectures. 

* The title in the original Irish is Tain BoCualnge. This 
book has this year (1913) been translated for the first time, com- 
plete, into English from the oldest MSS.. by Professor Joseph 
Dunn, of the Catholic Universitv of America (London, David 
Nutt). 

f I am not acquainted with any tale in the w r hole range of our 
literature in which the student will find more of valuable details 
concerning general and local history — more of description of the 
manners and customs of the people — of the druidical and fairy 
influence supposed to be exercised in the affairs of men — of the 
laws of Irish chivalry and honour — of the standards of beauty, 
morality, valour, truth, and fidelity recognized by the people of 
old — of the regal power and dignity of the monarch and the 
provincial kings, as well as much concerning the division of the 
country into its local dependencies — lists of its chieftains and 
chieftainesses — many valuable topographical names, the names 
and kinds of articles of dress and ornament, of military weapons, 
of horses, chariots and trappings, of leechcraft and of medicinal 
plants and springs, as well as instances of, perhaps, every occur- 
rence that could be supposed to happen in ancient Irish life. 
—0- 'Curry. 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



Summary of Chapter I., Book III. 

1. The Celts were among the first inhabitants of 
Europe after the Deluge. 

2. Ireland was inhabited at a very early period. 

3. Thirteen centuries before Christ Ireland was in- 
vaded by the Milesians, who became the ruling race. 

4. Scotia and Hibernia were the ancient names of 
Ireland. 

5. The most famous of the Milesian monarchs, be- 
fore the introduction of Christianity, was Cormac 
MacArt, who died a. d. 277. 

6. In a. d. 432 St. Patrick began to preach in Ire- 
land. 

7. Ireland became the school of Europe during the 
sixth, seventh, and eighth centuries, which constitute 
the golden age of Irish history. 

8. The early Irish missionaries traversed Europe, 
and became the apostles of Scotland, Northern Eng- 
land, Eastern France, Belgium, Switzerland, Ger- 
many, Norway, and Iceland. 

9. Prince Alfred of Northumbria has left us in his 
poem a glowing picture of Ireland in the seventh cen- 
tury. 

10. In a. d. 795 the Danes first appeared on the 
coasts of Ireland. 

11. The celebrated Irish monarch, Brian Bom, ut- 
terly crushed the power of the Danes at the battle of 
Clontarf, a. d. 1014. 

12. Irish surnames, which were always preceded by 
O f or Mac, originated in the tenth century. 



336 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



13. We may date the x4nglo-Norman invasion from 
the arrival of Henry II. in Ireland a. d. 1171. 

14. Bory O'Connor was the last ard-ri, or supreme 
monarch, of Ireland. 

15. The infamous statute of Kilkenny became a 
law A. d. 1367. 

16. Ulster was the last stronghold of Irish inde- 
pendence, and O'Neill, O'Donnell, O'Kane, Maguire, 
and other princes of the North, battled for years 
against the armies of Elizabeth. 

17. The shameful process of confiscation, which 
gradually outlawed the whole Irish nation and de- 
prived the Irish people of the soil, went on with un- 
speakable barbarity from the Eeformation until the 
eighteenth century. 

18. Prom the earliest period of history down to 
a. d. 1700, Ireland had but one national ianguage — 
the Irish language, 

19. Irish literature was a perfect expression of the 
social state of the Irish people. Every king, prince, 
and chief had his own bard, brehon, and historian. 

20. The golden age of Irish literature opens A. D. 
432, and closes A. d. 800. 

21. The ancient literature of Ireland suffered im- 
mensely from the Danish invasion and the Anglo- 
Norman invasion ; but the crowning stroke of misfor- 
tune for it was the Protestant Eeformation and the 
savage penal laws that followed. 

22. The remains of Irish literature, however, that 
have escaped the destroying hand of Dane, Norman, 
and Saxon, and the action of time, are of truly gigan- 
tic proportions. Over 60,000 quarto pages of ancient 
Irish manuscripts can be found in the libraries of the 
Royal Irish Academy and Trinitv College, Dublin. 



GAELIC LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 33*3 

23. The Irish language is one of the most ancient in 
Europe. 

24. Ossian, St. Columbkille, St. Donatus, Mac- 
Liag, O'Dugan, MacWard, O'Kane, and O'Carolan 
are a few of the names of Irish bards some of whose 
works have come down to us. 

25. Tighernach, abbot of Clonmacnoise, and Brother 
Michael O'Clery, 0. S. F., were the greatest of the 
Irish annalists. 

26. Duald MacFirbis was the last regularly edu- 
cated Irish antiquary and historian; and Torlough 
O'Carolan was the last of the Irish bards. 

27. The Annals of the Four Masters is the greatest 
and most comprehensive of the Irish annals. 

28. St Fiacc, author of the Metrical Life of St. 
Patrick, was the father of Irish biography. 

29. The most ancient work existing in the Irish 
language is the Booh of the Dun Cow. 

30. The Tain Bo Cualnge is the epic of ancieni 
Ireland. 

In the Short Dictionary at the end of this book 
reference is made to the following writers of this 
period : 

Roderick O'Flaherty, John Scotus Eriugena.* 
See also Historical Introduction to the nexl 
Chapter. 



* For a fuller account of ancient Irish literature and the Irish 
language, see Prof. O'Curry's Lectures on the MS. Materials of 
Ancient Irish History, Canon Bourke's Aryan Origin of the 
Gaelic Race and Language, and Matthew Arnold's Study of 
Celtic Literature. 



338 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



CHAPTEH II. 

THE ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 
A. d. 1700 to 1800. 
The Age of Swift, Goldsmith, and Burke. 



historical introduction. 

1. Glimpses at Ireland in the Eighteenth Cen- 
tury. — The eighteenth century carries us through the 
reigns of Anne and the first three Georges, and dur- 
ing this mournful period Ireland was the most 
wretched and misgoverned nation on the earth. It 
was in the reign of Queen Anne (1702-1714) that 
the penal laws against Catholics were brought to what 
Edmund Burke calls a "vicious perfection." 

2. The Penal Laws.— Let us glance at some of 
these horrible enactments. Every Catholic in Ireland 
was disarmed, and forbidden the use of a gun. Every 
officeholder, from a clerk to an archbishop, and all 
professional men, were obliged to swear against the 
Catholic doctrine of the Holy Eucharist. A Catholic 
could not sit in Parliament, could not hold any office 
under the crown, could not enter the army or navy, 
could not vote at an election, could not be a lawyer, 
a physician, a sheriff, or even a gamekeeper. A Cath- 
olic was not permitted to own a horse of greater 
value than $25; and if he owned a fine horse, he 
was bound to sell it for that sum to any Protestant 
who was disposed to buy. Catholics were fined $300 
a month for absence from the Protestant form of 
worship, and they were forbidden to travel five miles 
from their homes. No Catholic could go near a walled 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



city — especially Galway and Limerick. "In order " 
writes John Mitchel, "that they might be sure not 
to get near a walled town, they were to remain several 
miles away, as if they were lepers whose presence 
would contaminate their select and pampered Prot- 
estant fellow-citizens/' If a younger brother turned 
Protestant, he supplanted the elder in his birthright. 
A Protestant lawyer who married a Catholic lady was 
disqualified to continue the practice of his profession. 
Marriages of Protestants and Catholics., if performed 
by a priest, were annulled, and the priest was liable 
to be hanged. A Catholic could educate his children 
neither at home nor abroad. Catholic schools wore 
closed, and all Catholics were forbidden to teach. 
The doors of the only university in Ireland* wore 
closed to Catholics. A reward of $50 was offered for 
the discovery of each Catholic schoolmaster. Catho- 
lics who went abroad to be educated were disinherited 
of all their property. If a Catholic entertained a priest 
or a bishop, he was fined $100; for a second offence of 
the kind he was fined $200 ; and for a third offence 
he forfeited his whole estate. The exercise of the 
Catholic religion was forbidden; its churches were 
closed or stolen; its priests were banished, and hanged 
if they returned home.f Eewards, varying according 
to the rank of the victim, were offered for the dis- 
covery of Catholic clergymen. At one period, the 
same price was offered for the head of a priest and 
that of a wolf. Even Jews came from Portugal to 
hunt down Catholic priests in the Emerald Isle of the 
sea, and found it a profitable business. The fierce 



* Trinity College, Dublin. 

t For instance, 424 priests were banished from [reland In the 
year 1698. "Some few," says an Irish historian, "disabled Dj 
age and infirmities, sought shelter in caves, or Implored and re 
ceived concealment and protection from Protestants whose 
humane feelings were superior to their prejudices. ' 



340 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



Mohawk, ranging the ancient forests of New York, 
was not more eager and skilful on the trail of an 
enemy than was the ferocious and barbarous govern- 
ment' of England in its rage after Catholic ecclesias- 
tics. Bribes were offered to all who would betray 
Catholics. Truly has Davis written : 

"They bribed the flock, they bribed the son, 
To sell the priest and rob the sire ; 
Their dogs were taught alike to run 
Upon the scent of wolf and friar. 
Among the poor, 
Or on the moor, 
Were hid the pious and the true ; 
While traitor knave, 
And recreant slave, 
Had riches, rank, and retinue." 

A Catholic could neither purchase land nor dispose 
of it by will. Pilgrimages to Lough Derg ? to shrines 
of the saints, or to holy wells were forbidden under 
severe penalties ; and magistrates were ordered to de- 
stroy all crosses and religious pictures and inscrip- 
tions.* 

Is it any wonder that Montesquieu exclaimed with 
indignation : "This horrid code was conceived by 
devils, written in human gore> and registered in hell" ? 

"The Irish," says Edmund Burke, "have been more 
harassed for religion than any people under the sun." 

"I have read," declares the famous Dr. Doyle, "of 
the persecutions of Nero, Domitian, Genseric, and 



* The language of those brutal enactments is painfully offen- 
sive. A Catholic is never termed a Catholic, but a "Papist. " and 
his religion is nicknamed "Popery." The vulgar words "Popish." 
"Romish," "Romanist." and "Romanism" can also be met. ^ I 
have already remarked in one of my books that "the same malig- 
nant and uncultured spirit which produced the penal laws gave 
the world this mongrel brood of ragged, boorish words. It is 
said that 'Papist' was first used as a nickname for Catholics by 
Martin Luther ; the others had their disgraceful origin in Eng- 
land. But no educated speaker or writer of our day can use such 
outcasts ; they are literary eyesores, forbidden alike by politeness, 
good sense, and elegance of 'diction. Things and persons should 
be called by their right names." — [Murray]. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



341 



Attila, with all the barbarities of the sixteenth cen- 
tury. I have compared them with those inflicted on 
my own country, and protest to God that the latter, 
in my opinion, have exceeded in duration, extent, and 
intensity all that has ever been endured by mankind 
for justice's sake." 

The spirit of the Catholics was crushed and broken 
under the weight of such enormous oppression. The 
wealthy were ruined, and the poor became poorer. 
"The poor people of Ireland," said Lord Chesterfield, 
"are worse used than negroes." Ireland was not for 
the Irish, but for the Protestant English colony, or 
the Protestant garrison, as they called themselves. 

The members of this insolent minority filled all the 
public offices, ruled the island, and formed the cor- 
rupt body known as the "Irish Parliament." But this 
so-called Irish parliament was Irish only in name. 
It did not represent the Irish Catholics who composed 
the great body of the nation, but who were not recog- 
nized by the law, and who were still spoken of as "the 
common enemy."* It merely represented a faction of 
intolerant upstarts — the persecuting English Protest- 
ant colony in Ireland. It was this sham "Irish" par- 
liament that passed and sanctioned most of the shame- 
ful enactments of which a summary has been given. 

The Catholics formed nine-tenths of the nation, 
but for them the door was closed to every ennobling 
impulse. They were doomed to ignorance and social 
degradation. There was no way out of obscurity; no 
promise of worldly success; no scope for energy and 
enterprise, except at the awful price of surrendering 
their hopes of Heaven and turning their backs on the 
dear old faith of St. Patrick. But this noble people 



♦Chief Justice Robinson, interpreting the law, declared: "It 
appears plain that the Jaw does not suppose any such person to 
exist as an Irish Catholic." 



342 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



sacrificed everything earthly for the sake of their re- 
ligion, '-accounting all things as dross that they might 
gain Christ; 7 ' and in the words of the Holy Book, 
"Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice's 
sake, for theirs is- the kingdom of Heaven." 

3. Hearing Mass. — What dangers were braved to 
hear and celebrate Mass ! The Holy Sacrifice was 
secretly offered up in caves, secluded valleys, and 
mountain-gorges.* The fear, however, created iri 
England by the Scottish Rebellion of 1745 served 
slightly to relax some of the penal laws against Cath- 
olic worship. In a Tour Through Ireland by two 
English travellers, written in 1748, we read: "The 
poorer sort of Irish natives are mostly Catholics, who 
make no scruple to assemble in the open fields. As 
we passed yesterday, in a by-road, we saw a priest 
under a tree, with a large assembly about him, cele- 
brating Mass in his proper habit ; and though at a 



* William Carleton, in one of his novels, gives a vivid pen pic- 
ture of Mass in a mountain-cave. It is full of interest and sub- 
limity. "The day was stormy in the extreme," he writes. "It was 
a hard frost, and the snow, besides, falling heavily— the wind 
strong and raging in hollow gusts about the place. The position 
of the altar-table, however, saved the bishop and the chalice and 
the other things necessary for the performance of worship from 
the direct fury of the blast, but not altogether ; for occasionally 
a whirlwind would come up, and toss over the leaves of the 
Missal in such a way, and with such violence, that the bishop, 
who was now trembling from cold, was obliged to lose some time 
in rinding out the proper passages. It was a solemn sight to see 
two or three hundred persons kneeling, and bent in prostrate and 
heartfelt adoration in the pious worship of that God who sends 
and withholds the storm — bareheaded, too, under the piercing 
drift of the thick-falling snow, and thinking of nothing but their 
own sins, and that gladsome opportunity of approaching the for- 
bidden altar of God, now doubly dear to them that it was for- 
bidden. The bishop was getting on to that portion of the sacred 
rite where the consecration and elevation of the Host are neces- 
sary, and it was observed by all that an extraordinary and sud- 
den lull took place, and that the rage of the storm had altogether 
ceased. He proceeded and had consecrated the Host — Hoc est 
Corpus Meum — when a cry of terror arose from the affrighted 
congregation. 

" 'My lord, fly and save yourself ! Captain Smellpriest and his 
gang are upon us !' " — Willy Reilly, chap, xiii. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



great distance from us, we heard him distinctly. This 
sort of people seem to be very solemn and sincere in 
their devotions." Later on Catholics were permitted 
to build a little chapel here and there, but with the 
humiliating condition that it should have neither bell 
nor steeple. 

4. The Changes made by a Quarter of a Cen- 
tury.— As the trouble with the American colonies 
became more serious, the galled and goaded followers 
of the ancient faith were to experience another taste 
of English generosity. But what was it? In 1771 
the magnificent concession was made to them of per- 
mission to hold long leases of fifty acres of log for 
reclamation, provided it was not within a mile of 
any city or town ! In 1782, after England had been 
beaten to her knees in America, the Irish Catholics 
were allowed to purchase, inherit, and dispose of 
land; and ten years later, when the French Eevolu- 
tion was shaking Europe, the professions were opened 
to them, and they were permitted to keep schools. 
St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, an institution for 
the education of the Catholic clergy, was opened in 
1795. But no people can be satisfied while wickedly 
cheated out of their rights. Discontent filled the air. 
The unhappy people were driven into premature re- 
bellion in 1798. A swarm of Scotch, English, and 
German ruffians, misnamed soldiers, were let loose on 
the country, and crimes the most horrible were com- 
mitted. The pitch-cap, whipping, half-hanging, burn- 
ing off the hair, and other unspeakable barbarities 
were sanctioned by the English authorities.* 



* Lord Cornwallis was so sickened at the condition of things 
that he wrote from Dublin Castle to a friend: "The conversation 
even at my table, where you will suppose I do all I can to pit- 
vent it. always turns on hanging, shooting, burning, etc. ; and if 
a priest has been put to death, the greatest joy is expressed by 
the whole company." 



344 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



5. KeMARKS ON THE ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRE- 
LAND in the Eighteenth Century. — The English 
penal laws explain wiry not one Catholic author of 
distinction appeared in Ireland during the eighteenth 
century. The nation was inhumanly gagged. It was 
reduced to a sad silence. Ignorance was compulsory. 
To master the multiplication-table was a crime ; to 
learn to read was a crime ; to learn to write was, per- 
haps, a greater one.* It was dangerous to own a 
Catholic book, and many a family was ruined by the 
possession of an Irish manuscript. The faithful 
priest and the worthy hedge-schoolmaster kept, how- 
ever, the lamp of knowledge dimly burning among a 
people who love and honor true knowledge above any 
race in the world. What was a hedge-school? It is 
aptly described by Carleton in his Willy Reilly. 
a Father Maguire," he writes, "previous to his re- 
ceiving orders, had been a schoolmaster, and exercised 
his functions in that capacity in holes and corners; 
sometimes on the sheltery or sunny side of a hedge, as 
the case might be, and on other occasions when and 
where he could. In his magisterial capacity 'the ac- 
complishment' of whistling was absolutely necessary 
to him, because it often happened that, in stealing in 
the morning from his retreat during the preceding 
night, he knew no more where to meet his little flock 
of scholars than they did where to meet him; the 
truth being that he seldom found it safe to teach two 
days successively in the same place. Having selected 
the locality for instruction during the day, he put his 
forefinger and thumb into his mouth and emitted a 
whistle that went over half the country. Having thus 
given the signal three times, his scholars began grad- 

* The woeful "laws" were so rigorously enforced that, accord- 
ing to a writer in the Ulster Journal of Archwology, there were 
probably not 200 persons in Ireland who could read and write 
their native Irish at the close of the eighteenth century. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



345 



ually and cautiously to make their appearance, com- 
ing towards him from all directions; reminding one 
of a hen in a farm-yard, which having fallen "upon 
some wholesome crumbs, she utters that peculiar 
sound which immediately collects her eager little 
flock about her, in order to dispense among them the 
good things she has to give." 

Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, in his Young Ireland, has 
a very suggestive passage on this mournful period. 
"Among the Catholics," he says, "there was no na- 
tional literature; no books of any kind indeed except 
a few pamphlets written by Irish priests or exiles on 
the Continent and smuggled into the country. But 
an injured, people have a long memory. By the fire- 
side on a wintry night, at fairs and markets, the old 
legends and traditions were a favorite recreation. 
The wandering harpers and pipers kept them alive; 
the hedge-schoolmaster taught them with more unc- 
tion than the rudiments. Nurses and seamstresses, 
the tailor who carried his lapboard and shears from 
house to house and from district to district, the ped- 
dler who came from the capital with shawls and rib- 
bons, the tinker who paid for his supper and shelter 
with a song or a story, were always ready with tales 
of the wars and the persecution. A recent historian* 
cannot repress his disdain that in those times — for 
this was 'the Augustan age of Queen Anne' — no greai 
drama or epic poem or masterpiece of art was pro- 
duced in Ireland; but it is not on the jailers in this 
penal settlement, but on their prisoners, thai the 
critic's reproaches fall." 

Although Irish remained the general language of 
the country, we find Irishmen beginning to write in 
English as early even as the sixteenth century. Thus 



* Lord Macaulay. 



346 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



Kichard Stanyliurst (1547-1618), uncle of the cele- 
brated Ussher, contributed some lengthy sections deal- 
ing with Ireland to those Chronicles of Kaphael Hol- 
inshed which, published in 1577, are so important in 
their bearing on the historical plays of Shakespeare. 
Stanyliurst also translated the first four books of 
Virgil's Aeneid into the most wooden English hexa- 
meters that can well be imagined. He was a convert 
to Catholicity, and on the death of his second wife be- 
came a priest. Two of his sons were Jesuits. 

The first printing press established in Ireland was 
set up in Dublin in 1550, but it was first employed 
mostly in the production of prayer-books and procla- 
mations. 

There are some distinguished literary ' men, and 
some not quite so distinguished, among the Irishmen 
of the seventeenth century; but not many of their 
writings belong to English literature. James Ussher 
(1581-1656), Protestant archbishop of Armagh, the 
"great luminary of the Irish church/' as Johnson 
called him, wrote as a rule in Latin, and what he did 
write in English is mostly of a polemical character, 
Philip O'Sullivan Beare "(c. 1590-1660), Sir James 
Ware (1594-1666), Luke Wadding (1588-1657), 
Hugh Ward (c. 1580-1635), John Colgan (d. 1658), 
and John Lynch (c. 1599-1673), all illustrious men, 
wrote in Latin. Michael O'Clery (1575-1643), chief 
of "The Four Masters/' and his colleagues, as well as 
Geoffrey Keating (d. c. 1650), wrote in Irish. Nich- 
olas Brady (1659-1726), a Bandon man, and Nahum 
Tate (1652-1716), a Dubliner by birth, achieved a 
sort of immortality by their "New Version" into Eng- 
lish of the Psalms of David, which was authorized 
in 1696 and gradually supplanted the older version 
by Sternhold and Hopkins. Tate became poet-laure- 
ate in 1692, in succession to the "True Blue Prot- 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



estant" poet, Thomas Shadwell, and in 1702 was ap- 
pointed historiographer-royal. He wrote the bulk of 
the second part of Absalom and Achitophel. He was 
also the author of a few dramas, and he "adapted" 
some of the plays of Shakespeare, Chapman, Fletcher 
and Marston. His adaptation of King Lear com in- 
necl to be acted until well on in the nineteenth cen- 
tury. He disputes with Shadwell, Eusden, and Pye 
the unenviable distinction of being the worst of the 
laureates of England. Brady wrote a tragedy, an 
Ode for St. Cecidias Day, and a translation of the 
Aeneid into blank verse— performances all now well- 
nigh forgotten. Sir John Denham (1615-1669), and 
Wentworth Dillon, Earl of Roscommon (1633-1684 ), 
both born in Dublin, had for a time considerable rep- 
utation as poets. Denham took an active part on the 
royalist side during and after the Civil War. He is 
now best remembered for his once celebrated Coo/ 
Hill, a poem in which occur the oft-quoted lines ad- 
dressed to the River Thames : 

"O could I flow like thee, and make thy stream 
My great example, as it is my theme ! 
Though deep, yet clear; though gentle, yet not dull: 
Strong without rage ; without o'erflowing. full." 

The Earl of Roscommon's principal poetical pro- 
duction is his Essay on Translated Verse. He was 
highly praised by Dryden and by Pope. The latter 
justly pointed out as one of his merits that 

"In all Charles's days 
Roscommon only boasts unspotted bays." 

William Molyneux (1656-1698), who was born in 
Dublin, proved himself a patriot when, in the Irish 
house of commons, he voted in a minority of one 
against the enactment of the law that destroyed the 
Irish w r oollen trade. His Case of Ireland bring bound 
by Laws [made] in England Stated (1698) La a clas- 



348 



LESSOXS IX EXGLISH LITERATURE. 



sic on the general relations between the two countries. 
It so annoyed the English parliament that it was or- 
dered to be burned by the common hangman. A simi- 
lar fate was decreed by the Irish house of commons 
to John Toland's (1669-1722) Christianity Not Mys- 
terious (1696). This was in a sense an epoch-making- 
book, inasmuch as it started the deistical controversy, 
which raged so acutely in the first half of the eigh- 
teenth century. Toland, who was born a Catholic in 
County Londonderry, wrote many more books, but his 
life was not happy, and he figures painfully in 
DTsraelTs Calamities of Authors. George Farquhar 
(1678-1707), who came from Londonderry, and 
Thomas Southerne (1660-1746), who was born near 
Dublin, began their dramatic careers in the seven- 
teenth century. Farquhar wrote in all eight comedies. 
His first, Lore and a Bottle, was played at Drury 
Lane theatre in London in 1698; his last, and best, 
The Beaux' Stratagem, was produced in the year of 
his death, 1707. Southerners comedies are amusing, 
but gross. His two characteristic tragedies, Isabella, 
or the Fatal Marriage, and Oroonoko, were staged, 
respectively, in 1694 and 1696. Charles Leslie (1650- 
1722), another Dublin man, whose works fill seven 
volumes, is now remembered onlv for his famous Short 
and Easy Method with the Deists (1698). 

In the eighteenth century Anglo-Irish literature 
improves both in quantity and in quality. The more 
important names are Sir Richard Steele, Jonathan 
Swift, George Berkeley, Henry Brooke, Laurence 
Sterne, Oliver Goldsmith, Edmund Burke, Richard 
Brinsley Sheridan, John Philpot Curran, Henry Grat- 
fan, and William Drennan — all non-Catholics. Of 
these Sterne and Swift were Irishmen only by the ac- 
cident of birth, and despite his Irish mother, Steele 
described himself as "an Englishman born in Dublin." 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND, 



The lives of Steele and Sterne were passed mainly in 
England, and in England were centered their inter- 
ests, ambitions, and hopes. Swift also spent much of 
his time in England, but more than half his life he 
resided m Ireland, and there he died and was bun. .!. 
His Irish patriotism has been said to be of a narrow 
order; but it must not be forgotten that he rendered 
solid services to the land of his birth, and that his 
memory is cherished in Ireland with affection and 
pride to this day. Goldsmith had many specially 
Irish characteristics, and, although none of his writ- 
ings deal professedly with Ireland, there is no doubl 
that he had his Irish, experiences in mind when he 
wrote The Vicar of Wakefield, The Deserted Village, 
and She Stoops to Conquer. Berkeley, in The Querist 
and elsewhere, made many acute suggestions for the 
improvement of Irish social conditions. Brooke was 
much interested in Irish literature and Irish history ; 
and, to his credit be it said, although he began as an 
anti-Catholic pamphleteer, he lived long enough to 
advocate fairer treatment for his Catholic fellow 
countrymen and to recommend a relaxation of 
penal laws. Burke was a great man and a true Irish- 
man. He loved his native isle, and, though he spenl 
most of his life in England, he never ceased by tongui 
and pen to demand justice for his oppressed Catholic 
countrymen. Sheridan had many failings, but he 
never lost his affection for his native land. Among 
the last words he uttered in the English House of 
Commons were the following: "Be just to Ireland. 
I will never give my vote to any administration that 
opposes the question of Catholic emancipation/' 
Grattan was the soul of Irish chivalry, and an intense 
lover of justice. "So long/' he exclaimed, "as we ex- 
clude Catholics from natural liberty and the common 
rights of man, we are not a people." Curran was a 



350 LESSONS IjST ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



genuine Irishman and an earnest advocate of religious 
freedom. Drennan was the patriotic poet of the Irish 
Rebellion. He was the first to give the title of the 
Emerald Isle to Ireland in his poem Erin: 

"When Erin first rose from the dark swelling flood, 
God blessed the green island, and saw it was good ; 
The emerald of Europe, it sparkled and shone. 
In the ring of the world the most precious stone." 



LESSON I. 

SIR RICHARD STEELE. DIED 1729. 

Chief works : ( 1 ) Essays. 

(2) Comedies. 

(3) Letters. 

1. Who was Sir Richard Steele? 

Sir Eichard Steele, who was practically the founder 
of English periodical literature, was one of the most 
original and brilliant writers of the eighteenth cen- 
tury. 

2. Tell us something of his career. 

Steele was born in Dublin. His father was an 
Englishman, but his mother was Irish, and from her 
he seems to have inherited his bright fancy, tender- 
ness, and impulsive ardor. He studied at Oxford, 
became a captain in the Horse Guards, then a mem- 
ber of the English Parliament, and died in poverty. 

3. Where did his Essays first appear? 

In his papers— the Toiler, Spectator, and Guar- 
dian* 

4. Which was Steele's first periodical? 

The Tatter. 



Rfoni'I *f er V Spectator, and Guardian were all of them 
h u, fl n' als ' i bGgim and ended b -v at his sole discretion. 
^ rUy W 510 papers ' Addison, 369."— Henry 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 351 



5. When did he begin the Tatler? 
In 1709. 

6. Of the three periodicals, which was the most celebrated! 

The Spectator, a six-days-a-week paper, which to 
this day ranks as one of the most famous publications 
in the history of British periodical literature. It is 
an English classic. The best essays written by Steele 
and Addison appeared in its pages.* 

7. By what other works is Steele chiefly known? 

By his Comedies, and his Letters to his wife. 

8. Which is his best comedy, and what should be remem- 
bered to his honor? 

The Conscious Lovers is his best comedy. Steele 
was the first dramatist after the Restoration to treat 
virtue properly on the English stage. 

"I am far from wishing to depreciate Addison's talents, but T 
am anxious to do justice to Steele, who was, I think, upon the 
whole, a less artificial and more original writer." — William Haz- 
litt. 



LESSOX II. 

JONATHAN SWIFT. DIED 1745. 

Chief works: (1) The Battle of the Books. 

(2) A Tale of a Tub. 

(3) Drapier Letters. 

(4) Gulliver's Travels. 

(5) Pamphlets. 

(6) Polite Conversation. 

(7) Poems. 

9, Give a short account of Jonathan Swift. 

Swift was born in Dublin in 1667, was left an or- 
phan, studied at Trinity College, and, after a che- 



* It must be remembered that Steele published his famous 
papers in England, not in Ireland. "It was through the Tat- 
ters" writes Henrv Morley, "and the daily Spectators which 
succeeded them, that the people of England really learned to 
read." — English Writers. • . 

The first number of The Spectator is dated March 1, 1711 , the 
last, December 20, 1714— in all, 635 numbers. 



352 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



quered career, became Bean of St. Patrick's Cathe- 
dral, in his native city. He was insane during the 
last five years of his life, and died at the age of 78. 

10. In what way did Swift seek to advance himself? 

He plunged into British politics, and used his pen 
as the lever by which he meant to raise himself to the 
pinnacle of clerical greatness.* 

11. Which were his first works of marked power and origi- 
nality] 

A Tale of a Tub, and The Battle of the Books, both 
published in 1704. The Tale of a Tub, which is a 
satire on the warring divisions of Christianity, is 
the coarsest, wildest, and wittiest of all his polemical 
works. The Battle of the Books, written as his contri- 
bution to the "Ancient and Modern" quarrel, is full 
of clever and humorous strokes. 

12. What caused Swift to write the Drapier Letters? 

In 1724 an Englishman named Wood obtained a 
patent from the government empowering him to coin 
over half a million dollars^ worth of copper money for 
circulation in Ireland. Swift opposed the measure 
in a series of public letters, marked by a bold, simple, 
and hardy eloquence, and signed "M. B., Drapier." 
The blow crushed Wood and his odious patent. 

13. Which was Swift's most popular and original work? 

Gullivers Travels, one of the fiercest satires ever 
written. It abounds in irony and a certain grim hu- 
mor. As he progressed with his work Swift made it 
the vehicle of his contempt and hatred of mankind. 
The gross indecency of certain portions of the work 
merits severe condemnation. 

"Immodest words admit of no defence. 
For want of decency is want of sense." 



* "Against all comers he stood the Goliath of pamphleteers in 
tne reign of Queen Anne, and there arose no David who could 
slay him. — Coppee. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 353 



14. How does Swift rank as a pamphleteer? 

Among the highest. His Conduct of the Allies; 
The Barrier Treaty; and The Public Spirit of the 
Whigs are masterpieces of their kind. 

15. What is Polite Conversation? 

It is a skit on the talk, manners, and occupations 
of fashionable society in London, and is one of Swift's 
most exquisitely humorous works. 

16. What is your opinion of his poems? 

They are humorous and satirical, and occasionally 
introspective, but they are not of a high order. 



"Swift knew, almost beyond any man, the purity, the extent, 
and the precision of the English language." — Blair. 



LESSON III. 

LAURENCE STERNE. DIED 1768. 

Chief works: (1) Tristram Shandy. 

(2) A Sentimental Journey. 

(3) Sermons 

(4) Letters. 

HENRY BROOKE. DIED 1783. 

Chief works: (1) Universal Beauty. 

(2) Gustavus Vasa. 

(3) The Earl of Essex. 

(4) The Fool of Quality. 

(5) Juliet Grenville. 

17. Give a brief account of Laurence Sterne. 

He was born of English parents at Clonmel, Ire- 
land, in 1713; was educated at Cambridge Univer- 
sity; became a clergyman ; held various clerical ap- 
pointments in connection with the archdiocese of 
York ; travelled in Prance and Italy ; and died m 
London in 1768. 



354 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



18. What is his great work? 

Tristram Shandy. It was published in nine vol- 
umes between 1760 and 1767. It can scarcely be 
called a consecutive narrative, as it is constantly in- 
terrupted by digressions; but it is full of both hu- 
mor and pathos. In Walter Shandy and the Widow 
Wadman, Uncle Toby and Corporal Trim, it contains 
some of the best-known characters in English fiction. 

19. What is the Sentimental Journey? 

It is connected loosely with Tristram Shandy, but 
made its appearance in a volume by itself in 1768. It 
purports to describe a journey on the continent, and, 
as its title implies, abounds in sentiment, or rather 
perhaps in sensibility or sentimentality. 

20. Is Sterne a wholesome writer? 

No; he is far from wholesome: an unpardonable 
suggestion of indelicate images to the mind is fre- 
quent in his two works of fiction. 

21. Give a brief account of Henry Brooke? 

Henry Brooke was born about 1703 in County 
Cavan; was educated at Trinity College, Dublin; 
studied law in London ; was appointed barrack-master 
at Mullingar; settled first in Kildare, and finally in 
Dublin; and suffered from mental debility for several 
years before his death. 

22. What is Universal Beauty? 

It is a poem in heroic couplets, which is supposed to 
have had the benefit of revision by Pope; it is further 
credited with having been the basis of Erasmus Dar- 
win's Botanic Garden. 

23. What are Gustavus Vasa and the Earl of Essex? 

They are tragedies. Gustavus Vasa was refused a 
license tor production at Drury Lane Theatre, Lon- 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



355 



don, because one of its unamiable characters was sup- 
posed to have been modelled on the prime minister, 
Sir Robert Walpole ; it was afterwards' staged in Dub- 
lin under the title of The Patriot. 

24. What are the Fool of Quality and Juliet Grenville? 

They are novels. 

25. By which work is Brooke now best remembered? 

By The Fool of Quality, which is a remarkable book, 
written in a good style, abounding in pathos and hu- 
mor, and stored with interesting speculations on the- 
ology, ethics, political economy, and education. 



LESSON IV. 

GEORGE BERKELEY. DIED 1753. 

Chief works: (1) Essay Towards a New Theory of Vision. 

(2) Treatise Concerning the Principles of Hu- 

man Knowledge. 

(3) Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philo- 

710118. 

(4) Alciphron. or the Minute Philosopher. 

(5) The Querist. 

(6) Siris. 

26. What do you know of the career of George Berkeley? 

George Berkeley was born in 1685, near Kilkenny; 
was educated at Kilkenny school and Trinity College, 
Dublin; became a clergyman; travelled much on the 
continent; came to America in 1729 and established 
a college for converting the Indians to Christianity; 
on the failure of his scheme for lack of funds, returned 
to Europe, and was made bishop of Cloyne in 1734; 
resigned his bishopric (1752) and retired to Oxford; 
and died there in 1753. 

27. What have you to say concerning his Theory of Vision? 

Derided in its own day as absurd, it is now accepted 
as an integral part of scientific optics. 



356 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



28. What theory did Berkeley propound in his philosophic 
works, the Principles of Human Knowledge and Hylas and Philo- 
nous? 

The immateriality of the world of sense, the spir- 
ituality of the soul, and the immediate providence of 
God. He puts forward his views in a lucid style, wit- 
tily, humorously, and logically. 

29. What is Berkeley's largest and most finished work? 

The Minute Philosopher. It is in dialogue form, 
and aims to give a religious presentation of nature. 
Incidentally are introduced descriptions of American 
scenery end views on American life. These dialogues 
have been sometimes compared to Plato's. 

30. What is Siris? 

It is a disquisition on the medicinal properties of 
tar-water, which Berkeley seems to have regarded as 
almost a panacea for human ills. 

ariesi Wha * character did Berkeley bear among his contempor- 

^ His reputation for goodness, benevolence, and saint- 
liness was very high. In a line often quoted, Pope 
assigned 

"To Berkeley every virtue under Heaven." 



LESSON V. 

OLIVER GOLDSMITH. DIED 1774. 

Chief works : (1) Poems. 

(2) Plays. 

(3) Essays. 

(4) The Vicar of Wakefield. 
32. Who was Oliver Goldsmith? 

He was a gifted, kind-hearted Irishman, "who left 
scarcely any style of writing untouched, and touched 
nothing which he did not adorn/'* 

* Translated from Johnson's Latin Epitaph on Goldsmith. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



357 



33. Give a brief outline of his career? 

Goldsmith was born in Ireland in 1728; graduated 
at Trinity College, Dublin; studied medicine; made 
a tour of Europe with "a guinea in his pocket, a shirt 
on his back, and a flute in his hand;" and at length, 
settling in London, devoted his life to literature. 

34. Which are his chief poems? 

The Traveller and The Deserted Village; but he 
wrote a number of short poems of great merit. 

35. What is The Traveller? 

It is a didactic poem, in which Goldsmith gives his 
impressions of the scenes and society that he met on 
his travels through the various countries of Europe. 
He comes to the conclusion that — 

"Still to ourselves in every place consigned, 
Our own felicity we make or find." 

36. Which is Goldsmith's masterpiece? 

The Deserted Village, the most polished, precious, 
and soul-touching of all his poems. It speaks to the 
heart. It is full of exquisite pictures of rural life and 
manners. The diction is simple and beautiful. In 
short, it is a poem unsurpassed in the whole range of 
English literature.* 

37. What do you know of his comedies? 

Goldsmith's comedies are The Good-Natured Man 
and She Stoops to Conquer, The former is an agree- 
able satire on the follies of benevolence, and the latter 
a laughable comedy based on a mistake which may 



♦The following suggestive lines are often quoted : 
"111 fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, 
Where wealth accumulates and men decay. 
Princes and lords may flourish or may fade— 
A breath can make them as a breath has made ; 
But a bold peasantry, their country's pride, 
Wben once destroyed, can uever be supplied. 



358 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

seem improbable, but which had actually occurred 
within Goldsmith's own experience. They still keep 
the stage. 

38. How does Goldsmith rank as an essayist ? 

As an essayist he ranks with the highest in the 
English language. 

39. What merit belongs to him as a writer of fiction? 

The great merit of purifying the novel and of rais- 
ing it aboye the sensual and the obscene. The Vicar of 
Wakefield stands alone in English letters, the match- 
less story of his own matchless pen. 



"Goldsmith, both in prose and verse, was one of the most de- 
lightful writers in the language. His verse flows like a limpid 
stream." — William Hazlitt. 

"From the excitement of our present literature, whether genu- 
ine or spurious, it is a pleasant change to take up the tranquil 
pages of Goldsmith — to feel the sunny glow of his thoughts upon 
our hearts, and on our fancies the gentle music of his words." — 
Henry Giles. 



LESSON VI. 

EDMUND BURKE. DIED 1797. 

Chief works : (1) Speeches. 

(2) Public Letters. 

(3) Reflections on the French Revolution. 

40. Give a brief account of the career of Edmund Burke? 

Burke was born at Dublin in 1729 ; received his 
education at Trinity College; entered the English 
Parliament ; and spent a long and spotless life in la- 
boring for the advancement of justice and civil and 
religious liberty. 

41. Which was his earliest original work of marked power? 

A Philosophical Inquiry Into the Origin of Our 
Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, a work written 
in a style of great elegance. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



359 



42. What is said of his eloquence 1 

The eloquence of Burke, though it often flew over 
the heads of those to whom it was addressed, is des- 
tined to be the admiration and delight of unborn 
generations. Lord Macaulay styles him "the greatest 
master of eloquence," and pronounces him "superior 
to every orator, ancient or modern." 

43. Upon what subjects did he speak and write with most 
force and fervor? 

On the claims of the oppressed Irish Catholics,* 
on justice to the American colonists, on the impeach- 
ment of Warren Hastings, and on the French Revo- 
lution. 

44. Mention his three splendid pieces on the American struggle. 

(1) Speech on American Taxation; 

(2) Speech on Conciliation with America; 

(3) Letter to the Sheriffs of Bristol. 

He was ever the friend of America, and his pro- 
tests against the war will last as long as English lit- 
erature. 

45. What does John Morley remark of those three produc- 
tions ? 

"It is no exaggeration to say that they compose the 
most perfect manual in our literature, or in any liter- 
ature, for one who approaches the study of public af- 
fairs, whether for knowledge or for practice." 

46. Which, perhaps, was the grandest oratorical achieve- 
ment of his life? 

His famous speech on the impeachment of Warren 
Hastings in 1788.f 



* But a few months before his death, he wrote his last Letter 
on the Affairs of Ireland. „, . . _ 

T Hastings had been Governor-General of India, and had sadly 
abused bis position* 



360 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



47. What has a famous critic said of his Letter to a Noble 
Lord? 

That it is the most splendid repartee in the English 
language. 

48. Which is Burke's masterpiece? 

The Reflections on the French Revolution, an in- 
comparable work, that gives the fullest and clearest 
statement of his political philosophy. It is a treasury 
of eloquence and political wisdom. It is a Christian 
book. It shows that without religion true civilization 
must cease to exist. "We know," says Burke, "and, 
what is better, we feel inwardly, that religion is the 
basis of civil society, and the source of all good and of 
all comfort." 

49. What is your opinion of Edmund Burke's rank as a 
writer ? 

He is one of the greatest masters of English prose. 
He united wise solidity of thought to brilliancy of 
imagination and a clear style in a degree never sur- 
passed by any writer of the English language. 



"Burke is among the greatest of those who have wrought mar- 
vels in the prose of our English tongue." — John Morley. 

"Shakespeare and Burke are, if I mav venture the expression, 
above talent. Burke's works contain an ampler store of politi- 
cal and moral wisdom than can be found in any other writer 
whatever."— Sir James Mackintosh. 

"He was a prodigy of nature and of acquisition. He read 
ovory thing— he saw everything. His knowledge of history 
amounted to a power of foretelling; and when he perceived the 
wild work that was doing in France, that great political phv- 
sician, cognizant of symptons, distinguished between the access 
oi rever and the force of health, and what others conceived to be 
1 tic v igour of her constitution he knew to be the paroxysm of her 
madness ; and thus, prophet-like, he pronounced the destinies of 
ranee, and, in his prophetic fury, admonished nations."— Henry 



English literature of Ireland. 



361 



LESSON VII. 

RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN. DIED 1816. 

hief works : (1) Plays. 

(2) Speeches. 

50. Who was Richard Brinsley Sheridan? 

He was the greatest dramatist and one of the most 
brilliant orators of the eighteenth century. As a 
dramatist he ranks next to Shakespeare in popularity. 

51. Give a short outline of his life? 

Sheridan, the son of very gifted parents, was born 
at Dublin in J 751. After an imperfect education, he 
began life as a literary adventurer, and grasped at 
position, fame, and fortune as if they were his birth- 
right. He seemed to fail in nothing except virtue 
and temperance. His career in the English Parlia- 
ment was brilliant, and when he died he had an ex- 
ceptionally magnificent funeral in Westminster Ab- 
bey. 

52. Name his principal plays? 

The School for Scandal; The Rivals; and The 
Critic. 

52a. What is The School for Scandal? 

It is a regular comedy, the object of which is to 
satirize the society of London. The dialogue is one 
incessant sparkle of the finest and most polished re- 
partee. In spite of some faults, it may safely be pro- 
nounced one of the best comedies in the English lan- 
guage. 

53. What is The Rivals? 

It is an exquisite comedy, over which the reader 
never ceases to laugh. The sketches of character are 



362 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



light and admirable. The blustering Sir Anthony 
and Mrs. Malaprop, with her "parts of speech/' can 
never be forgotten. 

54. What is The Critic 1 

It is a witty farce, and has a capital character in 
Sir Fretful Plagiary. 

55. What have you to remark of Sheridan's speeches and 
parliamentary career? 

He never failed to amuse the House, and, when 
stirred by the trumpet-call of a great occasion, he was 
capable of rising to heights of noble eloquence. Burke 
declared that Sheridan's famous speech against War- 
ren Hastings was "the most astonishing effort of elo- 
quence, argument, and wit united of which there is 
any record or tradition." 



"As mere acting plays, those of Sheridan are considered the 
best in the language." — Hart. 

"As a dramatic author, Sheridan produced three works which 
will ever be considered masterpieces in their different styles — the 
two comedies entitled The School for Scandal and The Rivals, 
and the inimitable dramatic caricature The Critic." — Shaw. 



LESSON VIII. 

HENRY GRATTAN. DIED 1820. 
Chief works : Speeches. 

JOHN PHILPOT CURB AN. DIED 1817. 

Chief works : Speeches. 

56. Who was Henry Grattan? 

Tie was one of the purest and greatest of Irish ora- 
tors, patriots, and statesmen. 

57. Give some of the chief points in his life. 

Grattan was horn at Dublin in 1746: educated at 
I nnity College; called to the Irish bar: became mem- 
ber oi the Irish Parliament; and by the efforts of his 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



genius procured the legislative independence of Ire- 
land in 1782. After the Union, he entered the British 
Parliament. 

58. Mention a few of his most famous speeches. 

The Rights of Ireland; Philippic Against Flood; 
Reply to Corry; and Speeches on the Catholic Ques- 
tion. 

«J? 9 ;<^ n y° u ^ ive a u n often-quoted passage from the perora- 
tion of his great speech on the Rights of Ireland? 

Gratt&n said : "I never will be satisfied so long as 
the meanest cottager in Ireland has a link of the Brit- 
ish chain clanking to his rags. He may be naked- 
he shall not be in irons/' 

speeches^ 1 * 1 * eminent critic remarked of Grattan's 

That they are the finest specimens of imaginative 
eloquence in the English or in any language. 

61. Give a short sketch of the eloquent and patriotic John 
Philpot Curran. 

He was born in the county of Cork in 1750; re- 
ceived his education at Trinity College, Dublin ; was 
called to the Irish bar ; and devoted his life and his 
genius to the good of his country. 

62. Have we complete reports of his speeches? 

We have no complete report of Currants speeches, 
but only hurried notes, which give us many hints of 
what the speeches actually spoken must have been. 

63. Can you name some of his greatest speeches? 

Among his greatest speeches were the following: 
On Catholic Emancipation; For Archibald Hamilton 
Rowan; For Peter Finnerty; For Henry Sheaves; and 
For Lady Pamela Fitzgerald and her Children. 

64. What may he said of Curran's eloquence? 

Curran's eloquence was rich in feeling, courage, 
earnestness, exquisite humor, moral simplicity, moral 

24 



364 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



elevation, and the spirit of poetry and patriotism. It 
glowed with brilliancy, for his soul was lighted with 
the fire of an impassioned imagination. 



"No other orator is so uniformly animated as G rattan. No 
other orator has brightened the depths of political philosophy 
with such vivid and lasting light. No writer in the language, 
except Shakespeare, has so sublime and suggestive a diction/' — - 
Thomas 0. Davis. 

"No government ever dismayed Grattan. The world could 
not bribe him ; he thought only of Ireland ; lived for no other 
object ; dedicated to her his beautiful fancy, his manly courage, 
and all the splendour of his astonishing eloquence." — Sydney 
Smith. 

"I have met Curran at Holland House. His imagination is be- 
yond human, and his humour is perfect. I never met his equal." 

— Lord Byron. 

"No one can read even the meagre reports which we have of 
Curran's speeches without feeling how profoundly his life was in 
the cause of Ireland, and how his heart was bowed down under 
the burden of her calamities. This interest in his country is the 
central inspiration of his eloquence, and in his day his country 
was clad in mourning." — Henry Giles. 



Summary of Chapter IL, Book III. 

1. The English penal laws were a horrible code 
framed with one main object in view — the titter de- 
struction of the Catholic religion in Ireland. 

2. Though subjected to appalling persecution for 
centuries; though robbed of all human resources — 
liberty, homes, lands, education, churches, colleges, 
and religious institutions— the Irish Catholics, with a 
never-to-be-forgotten patience and heroism, triumphed, 
and the Eeformation never made much headway in 
Ireland. 

t 3. An insolent Protestant minoritv misruled the 
island, and tyrannized over the long-suffering Cath- 
olics. 

I. The laws were made, not for the protection of 
the Catholics, but for their inhuman punishment. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 365 



The cattle that roamed the fields had more legal rights 
than the royal descendants of Milesius.* 

5. The corrupt and persecuting legislative body 
known as the "Irish Parliament" was Irish in name 
only. 

6. The difficulties of England first forced her to 
relax the penal code against Catholics. 

7. The penal laws made it impossible for one Irish 
Catholic writer of distinction to exist in the eigh- 
teenth century. To learn to read, to write, and to 
pray "were equally acts of treason. 

8. Persecuted priests and hedge-schoolmasters kept 
the lamp of knowledge dimly burning at the risk of 
their lives. 

9. The Anglo-Irish writers of the eighteenth cen- 
tury were all non-Catholics. 

10. Steele was the principal promoter, as well as 
the virtual founder, of English periodical literature, 
and his Spectator is a classic. 

11. Swift is one of the most original writers of this 
period. 

12. Sterne's Tristram Shandy and Brooke's Fool 
of Quality are notable novels. 

13. The saintly Bishop Berkeley put forward phil- 
osophic arguments in a clear and captivating style. 

14. Goldsmith was the first to purify the novel and 
make it a teacher of virtue. 

15. Burke may be fairly called the prince of Eng- 
lish prose-writers. His Reflections on the French Rev- 



* "We hold these truths to be self-evident : That all men aiv 
created equal ; that they are endowed by their Creator with cer- 
tain inalienable rights ; that among these are life, liberty, and 
the pursuit of happiness." — The Declaration of T tide prudence. 



366 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



olution, lias been styled "the greatest work of the 
greatest writer of English prose." 

16. Sheridan wrote some of the best and wittiest 
comedies in the English language. 

17. The Speeches of Burke, Grattan, Curran, and 
Sheridan are the earliest specimens of true Irish elo- 
quence in the English language. 

18. Bird's-eye view of the chief Anglo-Irish writers 
and works of the eighteenth century: 

Sir Richard Steele, Essays in The Tatler and The Spectator. 
Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels. 
Laurence Sterne, Tristram Shandy. 
Henry Brooke, The Fool of Quality. 

George Berkeley, Alciphron, or The Minute Philosopher. 

Oliver Goldsmith, The Vicar of Wakefield. 

Edmund Burke, Reflections on the French Revolution. 

Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal. 

Henry Grattan, Speeches. 

John Philpot Curran, Speeches. 

In the Short Dictionary at the end of this book 
reference is made to the following eighteenth-century 
Anglo-Irish writers : 

Thomas Amory; Isaac Bickerstaffe; Susannah 
Centlivre; Andrew Cherry; Charles Coffey; John 
Cunningham; Thomas Dermody; William Drennan; 
Rev. Philip Francis; Sir Philip Francis; Francis 
Hutcheson; Charles Johnstone; Hugh Kelly; Charles 
Leslie ; Edward Lysaght ; Charles Macklin"; Edmund 
Malone; Arthur Murphy; John O'Keeffe; Arthur 
O'Leary ; Thomas Parnell ; George Nugent Reynolds ; 
Mary Blachford Tighe; Theobald Wolfe Tone.* 



PrJe°ind pi^ff??^** Writers o£ this * eriod ' see Th€ 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 367 



CHAPTER III. 

THE ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 
a. d. 1800 to 1900. 
The Age of Moore, Griffin, and D. P. MacCarthy. 



HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 

"Ireland is a land of poetry. It is a country of tradition, of 
meditation, and of great idealism. Monuments of war, prince- 
dom, and religion cover the surface of the land. The meanest 
man lingers under the shadow of piles which tell him that his 
fathers were not slaves. He toils in the fields with structures 
before him through which echoes the voice of centuries — to his 
heart the voice of soldiers, of scholars, and of saints." — Henry 
Giles. 

1. Glimpses at Ireland in the Nineteenth 
Century. — We have already touched upon some of 
the chief events in the Irish history of the nineteenth 
century (Book II., Chap. VI.). The political misery 
of the nation was completed at the very dawn of the 
century. It was a time of struggle and confusion. 
Corruption and treachery ruled. The Catholics were 
powerless. William Pitt spent nearly $10,000 ; 000 in 
bribing members of the so-called Irish Parliament, 
and a majority of that corrupt body voted for its own 
destruction. "It sold the birthright of the nation/' 
says Walpole, "for its own selfish ends/'* And thus, 
in brief, came about the legislative union of Great 
Britain and Ireland. 

Dr. Johnson once remarked to an Irishman: "Do 
not make a union with us, sir. We should only unite 



* It must not be fancied that all the members turned traitors 
to their country. The Parliament contained such genuine pa- 
triots as Henry Grattan, Sir John Parnell, and many others. 
The iniquitous measure, however, was carried by a majority of 
forty-three. 



368 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



with you to rob you. We should have robbed the 
Scotch if they had had anything of which we could 
have robbed them." The truth of this pointed re- 
mark is beyond question. 

"From the first of January, 1801," writes McGee, 
"Ireland ceased to have even the semblance of nation- 
ality. Her laws in future were to be made in Lon- 
don^ in a House of Commons seven-eighths of whose 
members had never seen Ireland, or knew anything 
whatever of her resources, trade, commerce, or agri- 
culture ; and in a House of Lords where the ignorant 
majority was even more anti-Irish and anti-Cath- 
olic." 

2. Catholic Emancipation. — The Irish Catho- 
lics — the great body of the nation — were still under- 
lings, to whom, indeed, a few crumbs from the table 
of justice had been thrown. They were sunk in 
gloomy apathy. 

"The peasant scarce had leave to live — 
Above his head 
A ruined shed, 
No tenure but a tyrant's will." 

At this critical period a great man appeared. It 
was Daniel O'Connell — the foremost political figure 
in Ireland for nearly half a century. His voice was 
a trumpet-blast that aroused the nation. The pens of 
Bishop Doyle, Archbishop MacHale, Eev. Sydney 
Smith, and the eloquence of Sheil came to his assist- 
ance. O'Connell knocked at the doors of the English 
Parliament, and forced England to grant the Catholics 
emancipation, in 1829. At last the atrocious penal 
laws were erased from the statute-book, after filling 
the island with misery for centuries. Six millions of 
Irish Catholics were told that they had the right to 
live, move, say their prayers, and learn to read, write, 
and cipher, without being hunted like wild beasts. 
It was a great step forward. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 369 

3. Kepeal, Young Ireland, and the Famine.— 
O'Connell next aimed at the repeal of the Union. He 
wished Ireland to have her own legislature in Dublin. 
After years of peaceable agitation, however, the Eng- 
lish Government had him arrested, prosecuted, and 
imprisoned. O'Connell was now an old man. His 
prestige waned. He was opposed by the "Young Ire- 
land Party and, in the midst of these political dis- 
sensions, gaunt famine came in all its terrible reality. 
The potato-crop withered away mysteriously. It was 
the only food of the poor. A shout of alarm arose, 
and, in 1847, a doomed people beheld the awful 
spectre of starvation. It was a stupendous calamity, 
and the English Government was never "a friend in 
need" to Ireland. The unhappy people perished — 
died in thousands by the wayside, and hastened to 
foreign lands in millions. During the last sixty- 
seven years fully three millions of Irish have made 
their homes in this Eepublic. 

The "Young Ireland Party" grew wild at the de- 
plorable condition of the country under English mis- 
rule, and rushed heedlessly into a short-lived rebel- 
lion. But Ireland wanted food even more than free- 
dom. The outbreak of 1848 was a mad effort at revo- 
lution. It was only the sword-flashes of a few gifted, 
foolish, and fearless young Irishmen. 

4. What Is an Eviction? — Poverty and starva- 
tion were not the only woes that haunted the path of 
the Irish peasant. He could be evicted at any mo- 
ment by the merciless landlord. Such a heart-rend- 
ing scene is thus described by an eye-witness : "Seven 
hundred human beings," says Dr. Nulty, the vener- 
able Catholic Bishop of Meath, "were driven from 
their homes on this one day. There was not a shil- 
ling of rent due on the estate at the time, except by 
one man. The Sheriffs assistants employed on the 



370 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



occasion to extinguish the hearths and demolish" the 
homes of those honest, industrious men worked away 
with a will at their awful calling until evening. At 
length an incident occurred that varied the monotony 
of the grim and ghastly ruin which they were spread- 
ing all around. They stopped suddenly and recoiled, 
panic-stricken with terror, from two dwellings which 
they were directed to destroy with the rest. They 
had just learned that typhus fever held these houses 
in its grasp and had already brought death to some 
of their inmates. They therefore supplicated the 
agent to spare these houses a little longer ; but he was 
inexorable, and insisted that they should come down. 
He ordered a large winnowing-sheet to be secured 
over the beds in which the fever-victims lay — fortu- 
nately they happened to be delirious at the time — 
and then directed the houses to be unroofed cautious- 
ly and slowly. I administered the last Sacrament of 
the Church to four of these fever-victims next day, 
and, save the above-mentioned winnowing-sheet, there 
was not then a roof nearer to me than the canopy of 
heaven. The scene of that eviction-day I must re- 
member all my life long. The wailing of women, the 
screams, the terror, the consternation of children, the 
speechless agony of men, wrung tears of grief from 
all who saw them. I saw the officers and men of a 
large police force that were obliged to attend on the 
occasion cry like children. The heavy rains that 
usually attend the autumnal equinoxes descended in 
cold, copious torrents throughout the night, and at 
once revealed to the houseless sufferers the awful reali- 
ties of their condition. I visited them next morning, 
and rode from place to place administering to them 
all the comfort I could. The landed proprietors in a 
circle all around, and for many miles in every direc- 
tion, warned their tenantry against admitting them 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 371 



to even a single night's shelter. Many of these poor 
people were unable to emigrate. After battling in 
vain with privation and pestilence, they at last grad- 
uated from the workhouse to the tomb, and in little 
more than three years nearly a fourth of them lay 
quietly in their graves/'* 

To change the laws that allowed so much injustice 
and misery, various enactments were made between 
1870 and "1886. Finally, in 1903, a great compre- 
hensive Land Purchase Act was passed, by the opera- 
tion of which it is hoped that the occupier of the soil 
will ultimately become its owner. This Act has al- 
ready effected much good, and the outlook for Ire- 
land is brighter and happier than it has been since 
1782. 

5. Disestablishment of the English Protest- 
ant Church. — From the reign of Elizabeth well into 
that of Victoria — a period of over 300 years — the 
Protestant Church as by law established added to the 
woes of Ireland. It brought not the peace of the 
Gospel. It filled the land with tears and blood. "The 
ground was dug as for a grave," says Father Burke, 
0. P. "The seedling of Protestantism was cast into 
the soil, and the blood of the Irish nation was poured 
in to warm it and bring it forth. It never grew ; it 
never bloomed; it never came forth." As early as the 
year 1700 the Protestant bishops of Ireland — men 
who had nothing to do — held nearly one million of 



* During the thirtv years from 1849 to 1879, eviction was in 
full swing. Thousands were evicted immediately after the 
famine of '47. Here are some eviction figures : 

1876 1200 evictions. 

1877 . over 1300 

1878 " " [ over 1700 " 

1879 nearly 4000 " 

Is it any wonder that, as a class, the Irish landlords were re- 
garded as merciless tyrants? 



372 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



acres of the best land, or one-twenty-first of the is- 
land.* This Church was the fruitful cause of strife, 
hatred, and heart-burnings. It was the emblem of 
bitter oppression. The Catholics were obliged to sup- 
port an institution they abhorred. The poor man 
often paid out his last shilling, or saw his last cow 
marched away, to pay the tithes of an idle, intruding 
minister from whom he received nothing in return — 
except, perhaps, cold contempt. f When Sunday came, 
the bell of a neat parish church — which had been 
stolen from the Catholics — often summoned only the 
parson and his clerk. There was no one else to come ; 
while, not far away, one thousand Catholics were hud- 
dled together in a miserable hovel "to render thanks 
to God for even these blessings, and to tell their woes 
to Heaven !" "There is no abuse like it," said Syd- 
ney Smith, "in all Europe, in all Asia, in all the dis- 
covered parts of Africa, and in all we have heard of 
Timbuctoo." This barren institution, with the curse 
of innocent blood upon it, was disestablished in 1869, 
and Ireland was thus relieved of another colossal in- 
cubus. 



* In 184o it was ascertained before a parliamentary committee 
that seven Protestant bishops in Ireland had died, leaving be- 
nind them m ready money the enormous sum of over seven mil- 
lions of dollars. And "this," as an historian remarks, "among 
Europe"' 1 othed ' Educated people— the most miserable in 

t It took an 'army to collect these unholy tithes. On one oc- 
casion a regiment of hussars might be seen driving a flock of 
geese. Deplorable scenes occurred. In 1831 thirteen men were 
killed and about twenty wounded by the police at Newtown- 
i.arry At Skibbereen, where the people were in such dire want 
tnat they were living on seaweed and nettles, the yeomanrv and 
Police who escorted a parson to enable him to collect his tithes, 
Bnot tnlrty persons dead. At Rathcormac. in Cork, a Protestant 
arcndeacon brought a party of military to collect tithes from a 
ramily named Ryan. The Ryans were Catholics, and resisted 
payment. The military fired. Eight persons were killed and 
'I'liMrn wounded. "Will you pay me now?" roared the brutal 
arcndeacon to Mrs Ryan, whose son had iust been shot before 
net eyes. Sydney Smith estimated that perhaps a million of 
uvea pad been sacrificed to this outrageous collection of tithes 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



373 



6. Influencing Agents on the English Liter- 
ature of Ireland in the Nineteenth Century — 
The stern and successful struggle of the long-suffering 
Catholics for emancipation produced a fiery, eloquent 
literature, which is to be found chiefly in the speeches 
of O'Connell and Sheil, in the poems of Moore, and 
in the public letters of Dr. Doyle and Dr. MacHale. 
Moore was the first Irish Catholic who became a 
master of the English language, and proved it in his 
writings. Dr. Doyle was the first Irish Catholic 
bishop who, in the same tongue, wielded a pen of im- 
mense power. 

At the date of emancipation, Ireland — which be- 
fore the coming of the fierce Dane or the grasping 
Norman had been the school of Western Europe — 
was the most ignorant and impoverished Christian 
country on the face of the earth. The penal code left 
nearly four millions of Irish unable to read or write, 
and nearly a million and a half who could read but 
could not write.* The present, or National, system 
of primary education, was established in 1831 ; but, 
while it has certainly helped materially to make the 
Irish an educated nation, it has proved in many re- 
spects far from satisfactory. Its work has been sup- 
plemented by various teaching orders, many of which 
have toiled not only in the primary, but in every other 
field of education, with an energy and success beyond 
all praise. 

What is known as "Young Ireland" was an off- 
shoot of O'Connell's Eepeal party. It originated a 
new and brilliant school of literature. Its chief or- 
gan was the Dublin Nation, founded in 1842 by three 
voung men — Charles Gavan Duffy, Thomas Osborne 
Davis, and John Blake Dillon. "The five volumes 



* Sir Charles G. Duffy. 



374 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



of the Nation/' says a recent writer, "would of them- 
selves, if nothing else of the writings of its contribu- 
tors remained, form a small library of prose and po- 
erty, more valuable than scores of ordinary books.. 
The massive prose of Duffy, the electric poetry of 
Davis, the sharp, intense leaders of Mitchel, the solid, 
practical reports of McGee, the erudite reviews of 
Eeilly, the lighter but exceedingly pleasant sketches 
of Meagher, and the songs and ballads of most of those 
and of scores of volunteer contributors, form a cyclo- 
pedia of politics, literature, and verse unmatched in 
the history of journalism."* 

The nineteenth century witnessed a sort of literary 
resurrection in Ireland. In the dread days of the 
penal laws, the people either hid their books or de- 
stroyed them. Persecuted monks and nuns, when 
obliged to fly from their quiet, holy abodes, often de- 
posited valuable manuscripts in strong boxes, which 
were carefully put away in some secluded chamber. 
They hoped for happier days which, alas ! did not 
come in their time. Many of these precious treasures 
came to light in our own age. The Boole of Lismore 
was discovered in 1814, while repairs were going on 
in the ancient castle of Lismore. "In the progress of 
the work, the men having occasion to reopen a door- 
way that had been closed up with masonry in the in- 
terior of the castle, they found a wooden box enclosed 
m the centre of it, which, on being taken out, was 
found to contain the Booh of Lismore, as well as a 



ri^\T n A> the occ asional contributors to The -Nation were James 
C u-thv « * U S^. Rlc *ard Dalton Williams, Denis Florence Mac- 
< .11 thy, and William Carleton. 

if «o 6 firs n I 3, 0V ^ pa ?, er J I ? Irel and was printed at Dublin in 1685. 
,f i ,' iV he D " h J™ News Letter. The Freeman's Journal 

f nn i ; n i^*o ne £t th t most infl uential dailies in Ireland, was 
s c Lr s„ i«qo Th S 2? 6Mw Penn ^ Journal, a weekly, began 
L ' V r 832; , a ^ thougl1 lt did not live long, a set of the 
journal is very valuable. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



375 



superb old crozier. The manuscript had suffered 
from damp, and the back, front, and top margin had 
been gnawed in several places by rats and mice/*'* 

In 1820, on opening the vault where stood the 
cloister of the old Abbey of Connor, in the county 
of Antrim, the workmen discovered an oaken chest, 
the contents of which proved to be a translation of 
the Bible into Irish, and a collection of the original 
poems of Ossian, transcribed at Connor, in 1463, by 
an Irish priest named Terence ■O'Neill. 

About the year 1821, while certain repairs were 
being made in an apartment of the old ruined Abbey 
of Bun-na-Margy, on the coast of Antrim, an oaken 
chest was discovered containing four manuscripts in 
a state of good preservation. One consisted of a large 
portion of a theological treatise by St. Thomas Aqui- 
nas, written on vellum, and extending to about 600 
quarto pages. "It is the finest specimen of penman- 
ship we have ever seen/' says Dr. Stuart in the Gen- 
tleman's Magazine for August, 1822, "and the ink is 
superior in brilliancy and intenseness of colour to any 
at present manufactured in Europe/' 

"Many Irish manuscripts," writes Canon Bourke, 
"were stowed away in the cottages of the peasantry 
behind, what are called the rafters of the house. The 
present writer has in his possession at this moment 
two such manuscripts that had lain for years hid bed- 
hind rafters in the cottages of respectable peasants 
named Bodkin and Bourke."f 

The government survey of Ireland led to a careful 
study of her rich antiquities by such distinguished 
men as J Curry, 0' Donovan, Peirie,Wilde, and Todd. 



* O'Curry. 

f The Aryan Origin of the Gaelic Race and Language. 



376 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



The work of examining and cataloguing the vast col- 
lections of Irish manuscripts in the libraries of Trin- 
ity College and the Koyal Irish Academy, Dublin, 
together with the establishment of chairs of Irish his- 
tory and literature in Trinity College, the Catholic 
University, and the QueenV Colleges, gave, at least, 
a temporary impulse to the study of the Irish lan- 
guage, Irish history, and Irish antiquities. The best 
results of this rich, rare, and scholarly labor are to be 
found chiefly in Dr. OT)onovan's splendid transla- 
tion of the Annals of the Four Masters, and in ? Cur- 
iVs two excellent works — Lectures on the Manuscript 
Materials of Ancient Irish History and The Manners, 
Customs, and Government of the Ancient Irish. 

7. Influence of the Irish Mind on English 
Literature. — The French critic Taine professed to 
find in the w r ritings of Goldsmith, Burlce, Moore, and 
Sheridan "a tone of their own — the Irish tone/' 
This was no great discover}', but it was the first time 
such a difference was ever pointed out, in a work on 
English literature, between the product of the Irish 
mind and that of the Saxon or English mind. The 
difference is very marked. An old Irish poem says : 

"For acuteness and valor, the Greeks ; 
For excessive pride, the Romans ; 
For dulness, the creeping Saxons; 
For beauty and amorousness, the Gaels/' 

Some of the well-defined literary traits which dis- 
tinguish the Celtic Irishman from the Saxon English- 
man, and which characterize the former's best mental 
productions, are lively wit, a spiritual temperament, 
delicacy of sentiment, brilliancy of imagination, un- 
common power of satire, great aptitude for describing 
the magic of natural scenery, an emotional nature 
and a quick perception, a reverence and enthusiasm 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 377 



for the good, the pure, and the beautiful, and the gift 
of style in a wonderful measure.* 

"The Celt's quick feeling/' says Matthew Arnold, 
"for what is noble and distinguished gave his poetry 
style; his indomitable personality gave it pride and 
passion; his sensibility and nervous exaltation gave 
it a better gift still — the gift of rendering with won- 
derful felicity the magical charm of nature. The 
forest solitude, the bubbling spring, the wild flowers 
are everywhere in romance. They have a mysterious 
life and grace there ; they are Nature's own children, 
and utter her secret in a way which makes them some- 
thing quite different from the woods, waters, and 
plants of Greek and Eoman poetry. jSTow of this deli- 
cate magic, Celtic romance is so pre-eminent a mis- 
tress that it seems impossible to believe the power did 
not come into romance from the Celts."f 

For over a hundred years Irish genius — the genius 
of Goldsmith, Burke, Grattan, Moore, Griffin, Davis, 
Mangan, Williams, MacCarthy, and others — has done 
a world of exquisite work peculiarly its own in giving 
the impulse of a new Celtic life, polish, grace, and 
dignity to the English language and English litera- 
ture. 

8. Anti-Irish Writers. — But from English 
writers — who until recently had the ear of the world — 



* Canon Bourke claims that the hymns of the Church owe 
much to ancient Irish writers. "There are." he says, "for the 
past 1400 years, about 150 Latin hymns in the books of devo- 
tion in use among the children of the Catholic Church. Nine out 
of ten of these hymns are written in the same style as that 
in which the Irish people of the early period wrote their native 
ranns or poems." — Aryan Origin of the Gaelic Race and Lan 
guage, p. 458. . m , 

f Rhyme — the most striking- characteristic of our modern 
poetrv as distinguished from that of the ancients, and a main 
source, to our poetry, of its magic and charm, of what we call 
its romantic element— rhyme itself, all the weight of evidence 
tends to show, comes into our poetry from the Celts. — Matthew 
Arnold. 



578 



LESSOKS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



the Irish get small credit for their gifts, virtues, or 
achievements. Such writers, however, deserve to be 
exposed that the sensible reader may know how to 
guard himself against their prejudice, contempt, or 
malignity. The first on the list is Gerald Barry, or 
Giraldus Cambrensis, the lying historian, who wrote 
shortly after the English invasion. He is a shameful 
falsifier. Father Burke hit the truth neatly when he 
stated that if every word of Barry was not a lie, at 
least every sentence was. Edmund Spenser, the fa- 
mous author of the Faerie Queene, points out what, in 
his opinion, was the best way to make an end of the 
Irish people. It was to forbid them to till the soil or 
pasture the cattle for one whole season. The poet felt 
that that would bring about the following much-to- 
be-desired result : "The Irish would quickly consume 
themselves and devour one another." Samuel Butler 
could not finish his Hudibras without writing: 

"A deep occult philosopher, 
As learned as the wild Irish are." 

Daniel Defoe, the author of Robinson Crusoe, bit- 
terly blames Cromwell for not driving the whole 
Irish race out of Ireland. Hume, in his History, 
shows an intense hatred of Ireland. Macpherson tried 
to make out that Ossian was a Scotchman, and wrote 
endless falsehoods to prove it. De Quincey cannot 
pen a note of nine lines without libelling what he 
terms "the barbarous Celtic blood." Southey states 
that the opium-eater was a calumniator, and per- 
haps Carlyle is not too harsh on De Quincey when 
he describes him as one that "carries a laudanum- 
bottle^in his pocket and the venom of a wasp in his 
heart.' Macaulay gloats over the oppression of the 
Irish Catholics during the dark days of the penal 
laws; probably this is why the famous Dr. Cahill 
styled him a "rhetorical fop." Thackeray, in some 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



of his stories, seems to take pleasure in ridiculing 
everything Irish. His drunken "Captain Costigan" 
is not only a leading character in Pendennis, but he 
is also dragged into The Newcomes. His Irish 
Sketch-Book is an elaborate sneer at everything Irish. 
Carlyle ; s Journey to Ireland is a disgrace to human 
nature. His brutal hatred breaks forth in a manner 
that would bring blushes to the cheek of a Malay or 
a Mohawk. But of all modern English writers' on 
Ireland and the Irish, Proude is the most false and 
malignant. He is color-blind to the truth of history. 

9. The Irish as a Keligious and Faithful 
People. — "The Irish/' wrote Bishop Doyle in 1824, 
"are, morally speaking, not only religious, like other 
nations, but entirely devoted to religion. The geo- 
graphical position of the country, its soil and cli- 
mate, as well as the state of society, have a strong 
influence in forming the natural temperament of the 
people. The Irish people are more sanguine than the 
English, less mercurial than the French; they seem, 
to be compounded of both these nations, and more 
suited than either to seek after and indulge in spirit- 
ual aff ections." 

Justin MacCarthy, a keen, impartial observer, 
wrote in 1880 : "The Irish peasant remained through 
centuries of persecution devotedly faithful to the 
Catholic Church. Nothing could win or wean him 
from it. The Irish population of Ireland — there is 
meaning in the words — were made apparently by na- 
ture for the Catholic faith. Hardly any influence on 
earth could make the genuine Celtic Irishman a Ma- 
terialist, or what is called in France a Voltairean. 
For him, as for Schiller's immortal heroine, the king- 
dom of the spirits is easily opened. Half his thoughts, 

25 



380 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



half his life, belong to a world other than the mate- 
rial world around him. The supernatural becomes 
almost the natural for him. The streams, the valleys, 
the hills of his native country are peopled by mystic 
forms and melancholy legends, which are all but liv- 
ing things for him. Even the railway has not ban- 
ished from the land his familiar fancies and dreams. 
The "good people" still linger around the raths and 
glens. The banshee even yet laments, in dirge-like 
wailings, the death of the representative of each an- 
cient house. The very superstitions of the Irish 
peasant take a devotional form. They are never de- 
grading. His piety is not merely sincere : it is even 
practical. It sustains him against many hard trials, 
and enables him to bear, in cheerful patience, a life- 
long trouble. He praises God for everything; not 
as an act of mere devotional formality, but as by in- 
stinct; the praise naturally rising to his lips. Old 
men and women in Ireland who seem, to the observer, 
to have lived lives of nothing but privation and suffer- 
ing, are heard to murmur with their latest breath 
the fervent declaration that the Lord was good to 
them always. Assuredly this genuine piety does not 
always prevent the wild Celtic nature from breaking 
forth into fierce excesses. Stormy outbursts of pas- 
sion, gusts of savage revenge, too often sweep away 
the soul of the Irish peasant from the quiet moorings 
in which his natural piety and the teachings of his 
CI mrch would hold it. But deep down in his nature 
is that faith in the other world and its visible connec- 
tion and intercourse with this; his reverence for the 
teaching which shows him a clear title to immor- 
ality. For this very reason, when the Irish peasant 
throws off altogether the guidance of religion, he is 
apt to rush into worse extravagances and excesses 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



than most other men. He is not made to be a ration- 
alist; he is made to be a believer/'* 

10. The Decay of the Irish Language.— In 
1851 there were over one million and a half Irish- 
speaking inhabitants in Ireland. To-day there is 
not half that number. English is the official language 
of the country. It is the language of the schools. It 
is the language of commerce. The people were forced 
to learn English, which has gradually displaced the 
venerable language of Columbkille, Brian Boru, and 
Hugh O'Neill. The following pathetic lines give 
voice to a sad truth : 

" 'Tis fading, oh. 'tis fading, like leaves upon the trees ! 
In murmuring tone 'tis dying, like the wail upon the breeze ! 
'Tis swiftly disappearing, as footprints on the shore 
Where the Barrow, and the Erne, and Lough Swilly's waters 
roar — 

Where the parting sunbeam kisses Lough Corrib in the west, 
And Ocean, like a mother, clasps the Shannon to her breast ! 
The language of old Erin, of her history and name — 
Of her monarchs and her heroes — her glory and her fame — 
The sacred shrine where rested, through sunshine and through 
gloom, 

The spirit of her martyrs, as their bodies in the tomb, 
The time-wrought shell where murmured, 'mid centuries of 
wrong, 

The secret voice of Freedom, in annal and in song- 
Is slowly, surely sinking into silent death at last, 
To live but in the memories of those who love the past." 

A determined effort was, however, made in the 
nineteenth century, and is still maintained, to pre- 
serve the Irish as a spoken language and to restore 
it to its pristine pride of place as the vehicle of a 
written literature. The lead in this movement was 
taken by the Society for the Preservation of the Irish 
Language, founded in 1876. There followed the 
Gaelic Union, founded in 1879,and the Gaelic League, 
founded in 1893. The last-mentioned body has come 
prominently before the public, and considerable suc- 
cess has attended its efforts. Mainly at its instigation. 



* History of Our Own Times. 



382 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

a knowledge of Irish has been made obligatory on stu- 
dents seeking admission to the new Xational Univer- 
sity of Ireland., established by act of Parliament in 
1908, and in working order since 1909. Much atten- 
tion is also being given at present to the study of 
Irish by scholars in England, on the Continent of 
Europe, and in America. 

"Every remarkable man/' wrote Lacordaire, "has 
been fond of letters." The same can be said of every 
remarkable nation. The Irish have always been a 
literary people. To song and legend and history, 
they have clung through sunshine and shadow with 
the same lofty tenacity as to faith and fatherland. 
No misfortune has been able to dull the Irish mind, 
however it may check its expression. The memory 
of the past is kept alive by a national literature more 
truly popular than any literature of the kind in Eu- 
rope. Today there is less ignorance in Ireland than 
in any other country in the w^orld. This is one of the 
wonders of history. "Irishmen who return to their 
country after a few years' absence/' says Sir John 
Pope Hennessy, "cannot fail to see, as one of the most 
noticeable changes, an extension of popular literature; 
a great increase in the number of readers, not, how- 
ever, in the upper or middle classes, but in the lower 
( hisses— that is, lower as far as the possession of 
pounds, shillings, and pence is concerned. In a re- 
cent article in the London Reader, some statements 
were quoted from the reports of the United States 
Bureau of Education, showing the comparative sta- 
tistics of education in some of the principal countries 
in the world, wherein Ireland heads the list, the 
United States comes second, Germany third, then 
Switzerland, then England, then France, etc/'* 



♦ The Nineteenth Century for June, 1884. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 383 

The future is full of bright promise. "I look/' 
says Cardinal Newman, with prophetic glance, "to- 
wards a land both old and young — old in its Chris- 
tianity, young in its promise of the future ; a nation 
which received grace before the Saxon came to Brit- 
ain, and which has never quenched it; a Church 
which comprehends in its history the rise and fall of 
Canterbury and of York, which Augustine and Pau- 
linus found., and Pole and Fisher left. I contem- 
plate a people which has had a long night, and will 
have an inevitable day. I am turning my eyes to- 
wards a hundred years to come, and I dimly see the 
island I am gazing on become the road of passage and 
union between two hemispheres, and the centre of the 
world. I see its inhabitants rival Belgium in popu- 
lousness, France in vigour, and Spain in enthusiasm." 



LESSON I. 

JOHN LANIGAN. DIED 1828. 
Chief work : The Ecclesiastical History of Ireland. 

JAMES DOYLE. DIED 1834. 
Chief works: (1) Letters on the State of Ireland. 

(2) Vindication of Catholic Principles. 

1 Who were the first Irish Catholic ecclesiastics of the 
Nineteenth Century to exhibit marked power as writers? 

The Eev. Dr. Lanigan, and the Most Kev. Dr. 

Doyle, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin. 

2. Do you know anything of Dr. Lanigan* s career? 

He was born in 1758 at Cashel, in the county of 
Tipperary, and received his education at Rome and 
Pavia. He was for many years an honored professor 
in the University of Pavia. When the French in- 
vaded Italv, he returned to Ireland, and spent the re- 
mainder of his life chiefly in Dublin, devoting him- 
self to literature. Dr. Lanigan was a man of great 



384 lessons ijst English literature. 



learning, a fine linguist, a master of theology, and an 
accomplished general scholar. 

3. Which is his chief work? 

The Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, which ap- 
peared in four volumes in 1822. It was the first 
great work on the Irish Church, and it is still un- 
rivalled. 

4. Give some of the chief points in the life of Bishop Doyle. 

Dr. Doyle was born in 1786 at Xew Eoss, county of 
Wexford, and received his education at the University 
of Coimbra, Portugal.* On returning to his native 
land he became a professor at Carlow College. He 
was appointed Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin in 
1819, and for fourteen years he shone as a great light 
in Ireland. 

5. Mention one of his public acts by which he performed 
marked services for his native country, and proved his in- 
comparable ability. 

His famous examination before the House of Lords 
on the state of Ireland. "That Doyle/ 5 said the Duke 
of Wellington, "has a prodigious mind, his head is 
as clear as rock-water/ 5 

6. Which is his chief literary work? 

The celebrated Letters on the State of Ireland, 
twelve in number, signed "J. K. L."f 

7. Name his other most noted productions. 

Vindication of Catholic Principles: Letters in Re- 
ply to Br. Magee; and Letters to His Friends. A fine 
collection of his correspondence is to be found in Pitz- 
patrick's Life and Times of Dr. Doyle. 



fon ilV'ilU'f P oti £ ed th *t Doyle and Lanigan were educated in 
^^S^^^^o^- w**Mog. of prance, the 

ot^h^Zdshit^ of his officiaI title ~ Jame *' Blsh °P 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 385 
8. What may be said of Dr. Doyle as a writer? 

He is always practical and to the point. His dic- 
tion, like his intellect, was rich, simple, luminous, and 
powerful. With greater dignity and more massive 
strength, he possessed all the wit and satire of Junius. 
Lord Bacon scarcely surpassed J. K. L. in pointed 
brevity, nor was Edmund Burke more solid and sub- 
lime.* 

"The most illustrious name on the roll of ecclesiastical histo- 
rians of Ireland is that of Rev. Dr. John Lanigan His critical 
remarks have contributed more than those of any othlr writer 
to illustrate the early life of our Apostle."— ArcJibishop Moral 

™..io? a D< ? yl S ca ^ e t0 show them now t0 wi eld a pen, the 
prelates and priests of Ireland, from the reign of George II 

FitzpatrSk ° ne ° r tW ° exceptions ' singularly feeble writers."— 



LESSON II. 

THOMAS MOORE. DIED 1852. 

Chief works: (1) The Irish Melodies. 

(2) Lalla Rookh. 

(3) The Epicurean. 

(4) Life of Sheridan. 

9. Who was Thomas Moore? 

He was the greatest of Irish poets, and a prose- 
writer of eminence. 



* Of education the great Bishop wrote : "Next to the blessing 
of redemption and the graces consequent upon it, there is no gift 
bestowed by God equal in value to a good education. Other ad- 
vantages are enjoyed by the body ; this belongs entirely to the 
spirit. Whatever is great, or good, or glorious in the works of 
man is the fruit of educated minds. Wars, conquests, commerce, 
all the arts of peace and industry, all the refinements of life, 
all the social and domestic virtues, all the refinements and 
delicacies of mutual intercourse ; in a word, whatever is estim- 
able amongst men, owes its origin, increase, and perfection to 
the exercise of those faculties whose improvement is the ob- 
ject of education. Religion herself loses half her beauty and 
influence when not attended or assisted by education, and her 
power, splendour, and majesty are never so exalted as when culti- 
vated genius and refined taste become her heralds or her hand- 
maids. ,T 



38C 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



10. Give a short account of his life. 

Moore was born in Dublin in 1779; was educated 
at Trinity College; visited America m 1804; and de- 
voted his life to literature as a profession. His last 
years were unhappily clouded by mental infirmity. 

11. Which is his chief work? 

The immortal Irish Melodies, which he began in 
1807, and on the composition of which he spent over a 
quarter of a century. They number one hundred and 
twenty-four. 

12. How does the poet himself refer to his work in words 
as true as they are beautiful 1 

He says : 

"Dear harp of my country, in darkness I found thee, 
The cold chain of silence had hung o'er thee long, 
When proudly, my own island harp, I unbound tnee, 
And gave all thy chords to light, freedom, and song. 

13. Mention a few of the most popular and beautiful of the 

Irish Melodies. 

The Minstrel Boy; The Last Rose of Summer; The 
Meeting of the Waters; On Music; Remember the 
Glories of Brian the Brave; and The Harp that Once 
Through Tarn's Halls* 



•"The harp that once through Tara's halls 

The soul of music shed, 
Now hangs as mute on Tara's walls 

As if that soul were fled. 
So sleeps the pride of former days, 

So glory's thrill is o'er, 
And hearts that once beat high for praise 

Now feel that pulse no more. 

"No more to chiefs and ladies bright 

The harp of Tara swells ; 
The chord alone that breaks at night 

Its tale of ruin tells. 
Thus Freedom now so seldom wakes— 

The only throb she gives 
Is when some heart, indignant, breaks, 

To show that still she lives.*' 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 387 



14. What is Lalla Rookh? 

It is a charming versified Eastern romance. 

15. What is The Epicurean? 

The Epicurean is a beautiful Egyptian tale of early 
Christian times. It is written in pure and elegant 
prose. 

16. How should we estimate Moore as a writer of English? 

Moore is one of the greatest masters of the English 
language. In the Irish Melodies he forces a music 
out of English words that has never been surpassed 
by any other writer. 



"In the quality of a national Irish lyrist Moore stands abso- 
lutely alone and unapproachable." — Shaw. 

"Of all the song-writers that ever warbled or chanted or sung, 
the best, in our estimation, is verily no other than Thomas 
Moore." — Wilson. 

"The Irish Melodies must be considered as the most valuable 
and enduring of all his works ; they 

" 'Circle his name with a charm against death/ 

and as a writer of song he stands without a rival. Moore found 
the national music of his country, with very few exceptions, de- 
based bv a union with words that were either unseemly or unin- 
telligible. The music of Ireland is now known and appreciated 
all over the world, and the songs of the Irish poet will endure as 
long as the country the loves and the glories of which they com- 
memorate." — 8, C. Hall. 



388 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



lessox in. 

GERALD GRIFFIN. DIED 1840. 

Chief works: (1) Holland-Tide Tales. 

(2) Tales of the Munster Festivals. 

(3) The Collegians. 

(4) Tales of My Neighbourhood. 

(5) The Invasion. 

(6) The Duke of Monmouth. 

(7) Gisippus. 

(8) Poems. 

JOHN BANIM. DIED 1842. 

Chief works : ( 1 ) Turgesius. 

(2) Damon and Pythias. 

(3) Sylla. 

(4) The Celt's Paradise. 

(5) Reflections on the Dead-Alicc. 

(6) Tales of the O'Hara Family. 

17. Who was Gerald Griffin? 

Gerald Griffin, novelist and poet, was born at Lim- 
erick in 1803. After finishing his education he went 
to London to seek his fortune as a dramatist and 
writer of prose fiction, and had a severe struggle for 
existence and recognition in the modern Babylon. He 
returned to his native land, and wrote some of his 
finest works in his quiet Irish home. He became a 
Christian Brother in 1838, and, as Brother Joseph, 
the famous author died the death of the just two years 
later. 

18. Which is his masterpiece? 

The Collegians, which he wrote at the age of twen- 
ty-five.^ Sydney Smith pronounced it "an admirable 
Qovel." It is an original work of the very highest 
order. It was dramatized, under the title oi The Col- 
leen Bawn, by Dion Boucicault, and later was con- 
lerted mto an opera. Both as play and opera it is 
still staged with great success. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 389 



19. What is Gisippus? 

It is a tragedy, which, although rejected by Charles 
Kean, was successfully produced, after the author's 
death, by Macready and Helen Faucit. 

20. What may be said of Griffin's poetry? 

It is remarkable for its pure beauty, freshness, and 
originality, while at the same time it glows with the 
fire, fancy, and feeling of youth. 

21. Name some of his finest pieces of poetry. 

Old Times;* Eileen Aroon; The Sister of Charity; 
The Isle of Saints; The Shannon s Stream; A Por- 
trait; and A Place in Thy Memory, Dearest. 

22. Who was John Banim? 

John Banim, a famous novelist and dramatist, and 
"a bright-hearted, true-souled Irishman," was born at 
Kilkenny in 1798, and, like Griffin, he early sought 
fame and fortune in London. After years of brave, 
successful toil with his pen, an insidious disease made 
him a cripple, and he came home to die in peace and 
honor. 

23. Who was his literary partner for many years, and what 
did they jointly produce? 

His brother Michael; they jointly wrote the cele- 
brated Tales of the O'Hara Family.^ 



* "Old times ! old times ! the gay old times ! 
When I was young and free, 
And heard the merry Easter chimes, 
Under the sally-tree. 

"My Sunday palm beside me placed, 
My cross upon my hand. 
A heart at rest within my breast, 
And sunshine on the land." 

t Michael Banim (1796-1674) was the sole author of Father 
Connell, The Croppy, The Ghost-hunter, Crohoore Qtthe BW, 
hook, Clough Fionn, and The Town of the Cascades. The works 
of the Banim brothers are usually published in ten volumes. 



390 



LESSONS m ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



24. What was John Banim's aim as an author? 

His aim, it seems, was to do for Ireland what Sir 
Walter Scott had done for Scotland. 

25. How do you estimate his defects and good qualities as a 
writer of fiction? 

Banim had little humor, and his descriptions are 
often too detailed and elaborate; but, on the other 
hand, he possessed a vivid fancy, patriotic fervor, and 
great intellectual vigor. He pictures the peculiarities 
of Irish character in strong light and shade. 

26. Which are his chief plays? 

Turgesius ; Damon and Pythias; and Sylla. 

27. Mention two of his best novels. 

The Boyne Water and The Noivlans. 

28. What is The Celt's Paradise? 

It is a long and elaborate poem. 

29. What is Reflections on the Dead Alive? 

It is a set of essays. 

30. What may he said of this author's Letters to his family. 

They are among the most hearty, direct, and grace- 
ful specimens of epistolary correspondence in English 
literature. There is about them a simplicity, easy 
dash, and pointed brevity for which we look in vain 
among the letters of other famous authors. 



work? moi ni2?« prais ? . w ^ lch the least interesting of Griffin's 
, of VftL °S ~ and M s the hi S hest of all praile,— that not 
v r 2 £ ntamS ? 'line which dying he may wish to blot;' 
•m l v th« 5 urest morality, inculcate the highest principles, 
and express the deepest religious feeling."— Dublin Review 

Ms wrmn<J° V0 TT 0f f ountr y breaks forth in almost every page of 
d ■«•»> s hhv !Jfth ve S ernent indignation for her wrongs, 
i d in to <? J hor * llff erings ' nor does ne shr ink from entlr- 
t Ifl necessar* ? r ?n S ° m ^ time ?v, pai ^ ful and revolting details, when 
DuWn ievilto P ° Se e iU - d °ings of her oppressors."— 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



391 



LESSON IV. 

DANIEL O'CONNELL. DIED 1847. 
Chief work : Speeches. 

RICHARD LALOR SHEIL. DIED 1851. 

Chief works: (1) Speeches. 

(2) Sketches of the Irish Bar. 

31. Who was Daniel O'Connell? 

Daniel O'Connell, the unrivalled master of popular 
eloquence, and one of the purest and greatest political 
geniuses of modern times, is chiefly known as the 
champion of Catholic emancipation in Ireland. 

32. Tell us something of his life. 

He belonged to an ancient Irish family ; was born 
in the county of Kerry in 1775; was educated in Bel- 
gium and France ; studied law and was called to the 
Irish bar in 1798; obtained Catholic emancipation in 
1829 ; and was the first Catholic for generations that 
had a seat in the British Parliament,* He died while 
on his way to Eome. The life of O'Connell is the his- 
tory of Ireland for nearly half a century. 

33. What did O'Connell afterwards remark of his first 
speech, which was made in January, 1800? 

"All the principles of my subsequent political life," 
he said, "are contained in my very first speech." 

34. What were some of the most noted characteristics of 
this great man? 

O'Connell was a man of prodigious energy, with a 
patient inflexible will before which difficulties disap- 
peared as the mists of the morning. He was deeply 



* Since the dars of Sir Thomas More, the English House of 
Commons had seen no Catholic within its walls so grand and 
gifted as Daniel O'Connell. 



392 LESSOXS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



religious, and was truly the embodied voice and spirit 
of Celtic Ireland. 

35. What may be said of him as a popular orator 1 

As a popular orator he has not been approached in 
modern times ; but he never wrote a speech, and he did 
not often make a set oration.* 

36. What eloquent man greatly aided O'Connell in the battle 
for Catholic emancipation? 

Eichard Lalor Sheil. 

37. Mention some of the chief points of his life. 

Sheil was born in the county of Waterford; was 
educated at Stonyhurst College, England, and Trinity 
College, Dublin; studied law; and was called to the 
Irish bar. After Catholic emancipation he held a seat 
for many years in the British Parliament. 

38. What has been said of his tireless devotion in the cause 
of Catholic emancipation? 

In the battle for Catholic emancipation this splen- 
did and impassioned orator was heard everywhere in 
Ireland, proclaiming and denouncing the wrongs of 
his people. 

39. Which are his chief works? 

Speeches and Sketches of the Irish Bar, The far- 
famed paper on O'Connell, in the Sketches, was trans- 
lated into French, German, Spanish, and Italian. It 
is an exquisite pen-picture. Sketches of the Irish Bar, 
contributed in the first instance to the New Monthly 
Magazine in 1821, was the joint work of Sheil and 
W. H. Curran, son of John Philpot Curran. Sheil's 



QO J u a ? do i??' of R oanoke, who hated an Irishman almost 
r>V m i ii as *i , a Yankee > when he got to London and heard 

« rtfi™: the .old slaveholder held up his hands and said : "This 
vnlulh man — tnos e are the lips, the most eloquent that speak 
PhflUps my y And 1 think he was ri g ht — Wendell 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



393 



share was subsequently collected and published sepa- 
rately under the title of Legal and Political Sketches. 



"Hannibal is esteemed the greatest of generals, not because he 
gained victories, but because he made an army. O'Connell, for 
the same reason, must be considered among the first of legisla- 
tors, not because he won triumphs, but because he made a peo- 
ple." — Henry Giles. 

"I have heard all the grand and majestic orators of America, 
who are singularly famed on the world's circumference. I know 
what was the majesty of Webster ; I know what it was to melt 
under the magnetism of Clay ; I have seen eloquence in the iron 
logic of Calhoun : but all these together never surpassed, and no 
one of them ever equalled, the great Irishman, Daniel O'Connell." 
—Wendell Phillips. 

"Sheil — a man who, while our language lasts, will be spoken 
of as one of the most brilliant orators of Ireland." — R. S. Mac- 



LESSON V. 

THOMAS OSBORNE DAVIS. DIED 1845. 

Chief works: (1) Poems. 

(2) Essays. 

JAMES CLARENCE MANGAN. DIED 1849. 
Chief works : Poems. 

RICHARD DALTON WILLIAMS. DIED 1862. 
Chief works : Poems. 

40. Who was Thomas Osborne Davis? 

He was an eminent poet and journalist, was born 
in 1814 at Mallow, in the county of Cork, and edu- 
cated at Trinity College, Dublin. He devoted himself 
heart and sour to the cause of his country, and died, 
deeply lamented, in 1845, at the early age of thirty- 
one. 

41. What has been truly remarked of Davis? 

That with him "a new soul came into Ireland." 
He helped to create a national spirit, a national po- 
etry, and a national literature. The burning love of 



394 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



his native laud fired his soul as a sacred inspiration. 
He wrote : 

"She's not a dull or cold land ; 
No ! she's a warm and bold land, 
Oh ! she's a true and old land— 
This native land of mine." 

42. Which is Davis's chief work? 

A volume of Poems and Essays — a truly valuable 
work. 

43. Mention some of his most popular poems. 

Fontenoy; My Land; Nationality; The Penal Days; 
The Sack of Baltimore; and A Nation Once Again. 

44. What is remarkahle about Davis as a poet ? 

Until three years before his death Davis had not 
written a line of poetry. Yet his glorious quill dashed 
off poems for the Dublin Nation that will endure as 
long as the English language — poems that will be 
read and admired as long as there is a true man of the 
Irish race living. His poetry was the expression of 
his own manly nature, patriotic heart, and lofty char- 
acter. It might be more polished, but it came warm 
from the heart. It finds its way back to the heart. 
It has the true ring which finds an echo in every 
bosom that can admire the brave and the beautiful. 

45. Who was James Clarence Mangan? 

He was the most original poet among the gifted 
school of writers that shone in the Young Ireland 
Party. His life, however, was full of sorrow, and he 
died at Dublin, his native citv, in 1849, at the age of 
Forty-six. 

46. Which is his chief work? 

TTis Poems, original and translated, which have 

been published in two volumes. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 395 

47. Which is the best known single piece? 

Probably Bark Rosaleen* 

48. How does Mangan rank as a translator! 

He is inimitable— the very prince of translators. 
He is among the few writers of any time or country 
who have succeeded in transfusing into their own 
language not merely the literal meaning, graces of 
style, and musical movement of foreign poems, but 
also their true spirit and suggestiveness. Often his 
translation far surpasses the original. He was a most- 
accomplished linguist, and translated from the Irish, 
French, German, Spanish, Italian, Danish, as well as 
Turkish and other Asiatic tongues. 

49. What is Mangan's rank among Irish poets who wrote in 
English? 

His rank is among the highest; some critics re- 
gard him as the greatest Irish poet of the nineteenth 
century. 

50. Who was Richard Dalton Williams? 

He was a native of Dublin, but of Tipperary parent- 
age; was educated at Carlow College; studied medi- 
cine at Dublin and Edinburgh; and belonged to the 
same school of writers as Davis and Mangan. 

51. Name some of his finest poems. 

The Dying Girl; The Sister of Charity; A Thought 
on Calvary; The Munster War-Song; and The La- 
ment for Clarence Mangan. 

* The concluding stanza of this great lyric is as follows : 
"Dark Rosaleen" is symbolic of Ireland: 
"O, the Erne shall run red 

With redundance of blood. 
The earth shall rock beneath our tread, 

And flames warp hill and wood, 
And gun-peal and slogan-cry 
Wake many a glen serene, 
Ere you shall fade, ere you shall die, 
My dark Rosaleen ! 
Mv own Rosaleen ! „ . _ . . 

The Judgment Hour must first be nigh. 
Ere you can fade, ere you can die, 
My dark Rosaleen ! 

20 



396 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



52. What are the chief characteristics of Williams as a 
poet? 

He had an eye for the beautiful in all things, and 
his gentle soul glowed with the bright love of faith 
and country. Some of his religious pieces are the 
most finished of his compositions. In his war-songs 
there is the very crash of battle. The Dying Girl is 
one of the pure gems of English literature.* 



"It was the object of Davis in all his writings to fire the spark 
of nationality in the breast of each Irishman." — Dublin Review. 

"Judging him now, a generation after his death, when years 
and communion with the world have tempered the exaggerations 
of youthful friendship, I can confidently say that I have not 
known a man so nobly gifted as Thomas Davis." — Sir Charles 
Gavan Duffy. 

"I was but a boy at the time, but remember with what startled 

enthusiasm I would arise from reading the Poems of Davis ; and 
it would seem to me that before my young eyes I saw the dash 
of the Brigade at Fontenoy ; it would seem to me as if my young 
ears were filled with the shout that resounded at the Yellow 
Ford and Benburb — the war-cry of the Red Hand — as the Eng- 
lish hosts were swept away and, like snow under the beams of 
the rising sun, melted before the Irish onset." — Father Burke, 
0. P. 

"The man most essentially a poet among the writers of The 
Nation was Clarence Mangan. He was as truly born to sing 
deathless songs as Keats or Shelley ; but he lived and died in a 
provincialized city, and his voice was drowned for a time in the 
roar of popular clamour. He was so purely a poet that he shrank 
from all other exercise of his intellect." — Sir C. G. Duffy. 

''T he solidity, the strength, the brilliancy, and the impetus of 
Williams's political ballads strike the sense like the rush of a 
squadron of cavalry. There is more imagination in this vehe- 
ment lipperary singer than would form one hundred of the 
ordinary rhetoricians who attempt 'the toil divine of verse.' His 
intellect is robust and vigorous; his passion impetuous and 
noble ; his perceptions of beauty most delicate and enthusiastic : 
us sympathies take in the whole range of human affection; and 
his humour is irresistible."— Dublin Nation. 



'm U ex 9L uis ? te P iece consists of seven stanzas of eight lines 
ine first stanza runs thus : 

"From a Munster vale they brought her, 

From the pure and balmy air — 
An Ormond peasant's daughter 

With blue eyes and golden hair. 
They brought her to the city, 

And she faded slowlv there : 
Consumption has no pity 

For blue eyes and golden hair,' 1 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF 



IRELAND. 



397 



LESSON VI. 

EUGENE O'CURRY. DIED 1862. 

Chief works : (1) Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of 
Ancient Irish History. 
(2) Lectures on the Life, Manners, and Cus- 
toms of the Ancient Irish. 

JOHN o'donovan. DIED 1861. 

Chief work : Edition and Translation of the Annals of the 
Four Masters. 

53. Who were the two most celebrated Irish scholars and 
antiquaries of the nineteenth century? 

Eugene O'Curry and John O'Donovan— men of 
fine critical judgment, immense learning, and rare 
accomplishments. 

54. Tell us something of O'Curry. 

O'Curry was born in the county Clare, in 1796, and 
owed little to schools, but was a life-long student. 
He was connected for some years with the antiquarian 
department of the government survey of Ireland, and 
in 1854 he was appointed to the chair of Irish history 
and literature in the Catholic University at Dublin, a 
position which he held till his death. 

55. What was the first great service he rendered to Irish 
literature ? 

He performed with admirable skill the work ot 
cataloguing and describing the vast stock of Irish 
manuscript literature contained in the libraries of 
Trinitv College and the Eoyal Irish Academy, Dub- 
lin. 

56. What should he ever rememhered to his credit in con- 
nection with the Brehon Laws? 

The Brehon Law manuscripts were in great part 
discovered by O'Curry, and he was the first modern 



398 LESSONS IN .ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



scholar able to decipher and explain them.* O'Curry 
and his brother-in-law, O'Donovan, were engaged for 
years in transcribing and translating these ancient 
laws of Ireland. Death alone ended their labors. 

57. "What famous work did O'Curry publish in 1860? 

Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient 
Irish History — a deeply interesting volume, which 
takes it place among the greatest critical and histori- 
cal works of modern times. 

58. Which was his last work? 

Lectures on the Life, Manners, and Customs of the 
Ancient Irish, It is a complement to the Manuscript 
Materials. 

59. Give a "brief outline of ©'Donovan's career. 

John O'Donovan was born in the county Kilken- 
ny, in 1809, and when only fifteen years of age he 
became Gaelic instructor to General Larcom, the 
head of the government survey. He was connected 
with O'Curry, Petrie, and others in the antiquarian 
department of the survey. He became a Doctor of 
Laws of Trinity College, and filled the chair of Irish 
history and literature in Queen's College, Belfast. 

60. By what great work is he best known? 

By his translation of the Annals of the Four Mas- 
Ins, with many learned notes. This unrivalled work 
was published in 1851, in seven quarto volumes, and 
ii called forth the compliments of such eminent for- 
eigners as Hallam, Guizot, and Jacob Grimm. 



tl„ SKlSL& Cono /' of Bela nagar, the ablest Irish scholar of 
Kt Stw L?^ acknowledged in a letter, dated 1786, 
■ ' f nor an ^ other Irish scholar in this king- 
dom understood the language of the Brehon Laws. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



39',) 



61. Name some of his other works. 

Grammar of the Irish Language, and an incom- 
parable essay on Irish surnames in the Introduction to 
his translation of O'Dugan's Topographical and His- 
torical Poem. He did a vast amount of work as an 
editor and translator. 



"Eugene O'Curry belongs to the race of the giants in literary 
research and industry, a race now almost extinct." — Matthew 
Arnold. 

"Without these national records — the Annals of the Four Mas- 
ters—minutely illustrative as they are of an integral portion of 
the empire, the history of Great Britain could never be regarded 
as complete." — London Athenaeum. 



LESSON VII. 

SAMUEL LOVER. DIED 1868. 

Chief works: (1) Novels. 

(2) Dramas. 

(3) Poems. 

WILLIAM CARLE TON. DIED 1869. 
Chief works : Novels. 

CHARLES JAMES LEVER. DIED 1872. 
Chief works : Novels. 

62. "Who was Samuel Lover? 

He was born in Dublin in 1797, and was the author 
of a number of very popular Irish songs and novels. 

63. Which is his best work of fiction? 

Rory O'More, a story containing passages of great 
power. It is full of point, humor, amusing incidents, 
and well-drawn characters. 

64. Name some of his other works of fiction. 

Handy Andy and Treasure Trove. 

65. To what other form of literature did Lover contribute ? 

He wrote a burlesque opera, II Paddy Whack in 
Italia, and some dramas, of which the best known 
are The Sentinel of the Alma and MacCartliy More. 



400 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

66. Which of his songs are the most admired? 

The Angel's Whisper* and Molly Pawn. His bal- 
lad of Rory O'More, from which he expanded his 
novel of the same name, had also a great vogue. 

67. Who was William Carleton? 

He was born in 1794 in the county of Tyrone, and 
was one of the greatest of the Irish novelists. 

68. What was his first work of marked power? 

Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry, which 
was first published in 1830. 

69. Name some of his finest productions. 

The Poor Scholar; Valentine McClutchy ; and Wil- 
ly Reilly and his Dear Colleen Baton, 

70. Which is his masterpiece? 

The Poor Scholar, a story that abounds in beauti- 
ful and touching passages. It is an interesting and 
highly finished work. 

* The Angel's Whisper. 

(A beautiful belief prevails in Ireland that when a child 
smiles in its sleep it is "talking with the angels.") 

A baby was sleeping, its mother was weeping, 

For her husband was far on the wild raging sea; 

And the tempest was swelling round the fisherman's dwelling, 
And she cried, "Dermot, darling, oh ! come back to me." 

Her beads while she numbered the baby still slumbered, 

And smiled in her face as she bended her knee. 
Oh ! blest be that warning, my child, thy sleep adorning, 
ror I know that the angels are whispering with thee. 

"And while they are keeping bright watch o'er thy sleeping, 

Ob ! pray to them softly, my baby, with me, 
And say thou vyouldst rather they'd watch o'er thy father— 

f «>r i know that the angels are whispering with thee." 

The dawn of the morning saw Dermot returning, 
, we ?* with her babe's father to see; 

&M !ft p are !? in g her child with a blessing, 
• RiOi i Knew that the angels were whispering with thee." 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



401 



71. Give some idea of the other two works. 

Valentine McClutchy vividly paints the horrors of 
landlordism— that blighting curse of modern Ireland. 
Willy Reilly pictures the unhappy state of society 
during the dark period of the penal laws, and is a 
work of great power and absorbing interest. It is, 
perhaps, the most widely read Irish novel ever writ- 
ten.* 

72. Name some of Carleton's other works of fiction. 

Fardorougha the Miser; The Misfortunes of Bar- 
neij Branagan; Body the Rover; The Tithe Proctor; 
The Black Prophet; and Redmond, Count O'Hanlon. 

73. Did Carleton write any verse? 

A little; his Sir Turlough, or The Churchyard 
Bride, is impressively weird and is a very successful 
legendary ballad. 

74. Who was Charles Lever? 

Born in Dublin in 1806, he was a physician, and 
one of the most popular and prolific novelists of the 
nineteenth century. 

75. Name some of his most characteristic works. 

Harry Lorrequer; Charles O'Mattey; Roland 
Cashel; and Lord Kilgobbin. 

76. What is the strong point of Charles O'Malley as a novel ? 

As a genial, mirth-provoking book, bubbling over 
with fun, it is really unmatched. 

77. What have you to remark of Lord Kilgobbin? 

It is Levers last work, and is rich in brilliant dia- 
logue. 

* We read Carleton's early works with mingled feelings of pity, 
sorrow, admiration, and indignation. He perverted talents of a 
high order to base ends. Though partially educated for tho 
Catholic priesthood, be became a pervert . and some of hi« early 
writings are marked by a bitter anti-Catholic spirit He _med, 
however, to regret this, and made due amends in nib later pro- 
ductions, especially in the three works just noticed, 



402 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



78. How do you estimate Lever as an Irish novelist? 

His books sparkle with wit and humor, and as a 
describer of natural scenery he takes rank next to Sir 
Walter Scott. At all times he respects purity and 
modesty, but he never got beyond the mere surface of 
Irish life. He felt no true sympathy with the people 
of Ireland.* 

LESSON ¥111. 

JOHN MACHALE. DIED 1881. 

Chief works: (1) Public Letters. 

(2) Translations. 

THOMAS N. BURKE. DIED 1883. 

Chief works : (1) Lectures. 

(2) Sermons. 

79. Who was John MacHale? 

John MacHale, one of the most illustrious Irish 
prelates of the nineteenth century, was born in the 
county of Mayo in 1791, and was archbishop of Tuam 
from. 1834 to 1881. His golden pen enriched the 
Irish and the English languages. The poet T. D. 
Sullivan writes : 

"In our green isle of old renown, 

From many a by-gon age 
Full pure and clear the fame comes down 

Of soldier, saint, and sage ; 
But high amidst those glories bright 

Tnat shine on Innisfail, 
'Tis ours to write, in lines of light, 

The name of John MacHale." 

80. What were his chief literary productions? 

Public Letters and Translations. 



There is one class of his countrymen of whom Lever was so 
entirely ignorant that his attempt to represent them is full of 
offence insult and injustice— the Catholic priesthood. It was, 
or course, a bid for popularity. It has been well remarked that 
wnen I arieton, Lover, and Lever began to write, a large portion 
Ho* ■ L f n ,, °, ul i no t t read ' and they wrote for Englishmen, 
Scotchmen, and the horde of Anglo-Irish who throve on the 
did i \,7v\?u ,T n • ^ l J<* People could appreciate nothing that 
oW not ridicule the Catholic priest and the Irish people, 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



403 



81. What period of time is covered by his Public Letters, 
and how do you value them? 

The Public Letters of Dr. MacHale touch on nearly 
every important event in Irish history from 1820 to 
1846, and were carefully edited by himself. They 
rank with the letters of Junius and Dr. Doyle. Those 
describing his travels in Europe are, perhaps, the most 
interesting, and abound in exquisite passages. 

82. What are Archbishop MacHale* s principal translations? 

He translated portions of Homer's Iliad, of Moore's 
Melodies * and of the Pentateuch, or five books of 
Moses, into Irish. 

83. Who was Thomas N. Burke? 

Father Thomas N. Burke, the famous Irish Do- 

* The following is Dr. MacHale's elegant translation of The 
Harp that Once Through Tara's Halls into Irish verse. The 
original is on page 386. 

IXi) c|ui]c, bo pCAp cjtj cAlUjSe'TjA fii$ 
■Na 3Aece ceolcA b\r) , 
*i\t bAlUjbe UeAtbitA'ijofr 'i)a ttt|8e 
peAjtfAb ceojl oa fijij : 
S^A^t f ub ca 'o c-Anj, gua]& ca{ic, f aoj ce$ 8 

Ca A CA]l, 'f a cli* pAO| fuAO ; 
Jj 4 cjtoj&ce, AfAflcujj tt)olcA ceo, . 
ATtM5 e *? |Ab 50 buAD. 

Mf cttt|ijceA|t cjwjc da CeAmt 1 * cp^O- 

S^eArs cittt^iujAb iuoa go rAoj, 
Offi -puA3|tAp f bejc jreActA, faoij, 

TuAin) bjtjrce ceAb fA p-Ojbce. 
2^A|t rub boi) c-rAOjttfeAOc, ? f apaH) cpA 

U bur5cAtv f 50 bed, 
3Vcc t)UA||x a bft]rceAji cpo]8e b*A cjtA&ab, 

&J5 f ojlrjujAb { bejc bed. 



404 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



minican, was born in Gal way in 1830. and died in 
1883. He was styled "the Prince of Preachers" by 
Pope Pius IX. 

84. What is your opinion of his Lectures and Sermons? 

The Lectures and Sermons of Father Burke are 
among the most remarkable literary productions of 
the nineteenth century. The subjects are interesting 
and important. The style is clear, simple, and pic- 
turesque. The five Lectures, in answer to the calum- 
nies of Froude, form an important addition to his- 
torical literature. Father Burke could be grave, hu- 
morous, or pathetic at pleasure. 



LESSON IX. 

DENIS F. MACCARTHY. DIED 1882. 

Chief works: (1) Poems. 

(2) Translations. 

AUBREY DE VERB. DIED 1902. 

Chief works: (1) Poems. 

(2) Dramas. 

(3) Essays. 

85. Who was Denis Florence MacCarthy? 

Denis Florence MacCarthv, for many years Pro- 
fessor of Poetry in the Catholic University at Dublin, 
wras born in Dublin in 1817. He was one' of the most 
gifted and accomplished poets of the nineteenth cen- 
tury. He was styled the Poet-Laureate of Ireland. 

ated 6 ?' Under what two heads ma y his chief works be enumer- 

{ nder the heads of original poems and transla- 
tions. 

87. Name some of his original poems. 

The Bell-Founder; The Bridal of the Year; The 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



405 



Pillar-Towers of Ireland* a descriptive poem full of 
beauty and music; The Voyage of St. Brendan, an 
exquisite poem abounding in beautiful imagery ; Con 
'Donnelly a fine, dashing piece, overflowing with fire 
and energy; and An Ode for the O'Connell Centenary, 
a poem of rare merit. Of all Irish poets since Moore, 
MacCarthy was by far the most fluent, versatile, and 
melodious. 

88. Mention his most noted Translations. 

The Dramas and Autos of Calderomf which he 
translated into pure and beautiful English. Such 
accomplished American critics as Ticknor and Long- 
fellow are lavish in praising MacCarthy's admirable 
translations. In recognition of his work he was award- 
ed the medal of the Royal Academy of Spain. 

89. Who was Aubrey De Vere? 

Aubrey De Vere, the third son of Sir Aubrey De 
Vere,J was born in county Limerick in 1814. He was 
a distinguished writer, both in prose and verse. He 
became a Catholic in 1851. 

90. Can you name some of his best-known poems? 

Inisfail, a Lyrical Chronicle of Ireland; May Car- 
ols; and Legends of St. Patrick. The spirit of re- 
ligion and patriotism, tinged with a gentle melan- 
choly, breathes through these fine productions. He 
also wrote some splendid sonnets. 

* This poem consists of twelve stanzas, of which the following 
is the first : , A . , 

"The pillar-towers of Ireland, how wondrously they stand 
By the lakes and rushing rivers, through the valleys of our 

l an ^- . , 

In mvstic file, through the isle, they lift their heads sublime. 
These gray old pillar-temples— these conquerors of time, 
t Calderon, the Shakespeare of Spain, died in 1681. He was a 
pious priest. a . fc . 

t Sir Aubrev De Vere was a poet of merit. He wrote cnofc e 
sonnets, and also dramas, of which the best known are Julian 
the Apostate and Mary Tudor. 



406 lessons m exglish literature. 



91. What are the titles of his two dramas? 

Alexander the Great and St. Thomas of Canter- 
bury, two works of distinguished merit. 

92. Which are De Vere's best-known prose works? 

English Misrule and Irish Misdeeds; Picturesque 
Sketches of Greece and Turkey; Essays, chiefly on 
Poetry; Essays, chiefly Literary and Ethical; and 
Recollections. 



LESSON" X. 

SIR SAMUEL FERGUSON. DIED 1886. 

Chief works: (1) Lays of the Western Gael. 

(2) Congal. 

(3) Hibernian Nights' Entertainments. 

(4) Ogham Inscriptions in Ireland, Wales, and 

Scotland. 

(5) The Remains of St. Patrick. 

(6) Lays of the Red Branch. 

93. Give a short account of Sir Samuel Ferguson. 

Born in Belfast in 1810, he was educated at the 
Academical Institution in that city and at Trinity 
College, Dublin; was called to the Irish Bar and 
practised law with some success; was appointed in 
1867 deputy-keeper of public records in the Irish 
Record Office; was knighted in 1878 ; was elected pres- 
ident of the Eoyal Irish Academy in 1882; and died 
in 1886. 

94. What is the Lays of the Western Gael? 

Published in 1865, it is a collection of his earlier 
poems, many of which had already appeared in Black- 
wood's Magazine and in The Dublin University Maga- 
zine. This collection was further supplemented by a 
volume of Poems which came out in 1880. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 407 

95. Which are the best known of his separate poems] 

Deirdre; Conary; The Forging of the Anchor; 
Willy Gilliland; The Elegy on the Death of Thomas 
Davis; and The Fair Hills of Ireland, 

96. What is Congal? 

It is an epic poem in five books. 

97. What is meant by the Hibernian Nights' Entertainments? 

It is a posthumously published collection of his 
prose stories, in which verse is occasionally mingled 
with the prose. 

98. What is the nature of the Ogham Inscriptions in Ireland, 
Wales, and Scotland? 

It is a valuable antiquarian work. It was pub- 
lished in 1887, after his death. 

99. What is contained in The Remains of St. Patrick? 

It is a blank-verse English translation of St. Pat- 
rick's Confession and Epistle to Coroticcus. 

100. How does Ferguson rank as a poet? 

He ranks deservedly high. In fact, Mr. W. B. 
Yeats has said of him that "the author of these poems 
is the greatest poet Ireland has produced, because the 
most central and most Celtic." Not all will agree en- 
tirely with that opinion, but all will unite in giving 
to Ferguson an ample space in the temple of fame. 



408 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



LESSON XI. 

WILLIAM EDWARD HARTPOLE LECKY. DIED 1903. 

Chief works: (1) The Leaders of PuUic Opinion in Ireland. 

(2) History of the Rise and Influence of the 

Spirit of Rationalism in Europe. 

(3) History of England in the Eighteenth Cen- 

tury. 

(4) History of European Morals from Augustus 

to Charlemagne. 

(5) Democracy and Liberty. 

(6) The Map of Life: Conduct and Character. 

(7) Poems. 

101. Who was William Edward Hartpole Lecky? 

He was one of the really great historians and mor- 
alists of the nineteenth century ; to a much less degree 
he was also a poet. 

102. Give some particulars of his career. 

Born near Dublin in 1838, he was educated at Trin- 
ity College in that city ; made historical research his 
life-work; represented Dublin University in Parlia- 
ment from 1895 to 1903; was made a Privy Council- 
lor in 1897; received the Order of Merit in 1902; and 
died in 1903. 

103. Of what does his Leaders of Public Opinion in Ireland 

treat? 

Tn its first form it consisted of four splendid Essays 
<»n Swift, Flood, Grattan, and O'Connell; in its final 
shape it omitted the essay on Swift, and expanded 
the essay on O'Connell into what is practically a his- 
tory of Ireland from 1800 to 1847. 

104. What have you to say concerning his other historical 

works? 

They are all marvels of patient research and are 
masterpieces of their kind. They have been trans- 
into G ei man and other languages. The History 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



409 



of European Morals is used as a text-book and a 
standard for reference in several German universities. 

105. What is Lecky's rank as a historian \ 

His rank is of the highest. Justin McCarthy says 
that Lecky "has treated history on a large scale and 
in the philosophical spirit/ 5 and that his works "fill 
the mind gradually with a sense of their justice, their 
philosophic thought, and the clear calmness of their 
historical observation." 



LESSON XII. 

JUSTIN MCCARTHY. DIED 1912. 

Chief works : (1) Novels. 

(2) Essays. 

(3) Biographies. 

(4) History of Our Oxen Times. 

106. Give a brief account of the career of Justin McCarthy. 
Born in Cork in 1830, he began life as a journalist, 

and attained to eminence in that profession; spent 
three years (1868-1871) in America lecturing and 
writing; became a member of parliament in 1879, 
and was chairman of the Irish Parliamentary Party 
from 1890 to 1896; devoted himself to literature 
during practically his whole life; and died in 1912. 

107. Was McCarthy a prolific writer? 

Yes; he turned out novel after novel with great 
rapidity, 

108. What are the characteristics of his novels? 

They are generally skilfully constructed as to plot, 
thev are not lacking in incident, they show great in- 
sight into character, coupled with the workings of a 
gently satirical intellect, and they are written m a 
clear and beautiful style. 



410 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

109. Which was his most successful novel? 

Probably Dear Lady Disdain. 

110. Mention some of his other novels. 

The Waterdale Neighbours; My Enemy's Daugh- 
ter; Lady Judith; A Fair Saxon; Linley Rochford; 
Miss Misanthrope ; Donna Quixote; Maid of Athens; 
and Red Diamonds. 

111. What is the title of his volume of Essays? 

Con Amove. 

112. What biographies did he write? 

Life of Sir Robert Peel; Life of Pope Jjeo XIII ; 

and The Story of Mr. Gladstone s Life. 

113. Which are McCarthy's principal historical works? 

The History of Our Own Times, from the Acces- 
sion of Queen Victoria; History of the Four Georges; 
and The Reign of Queen Anne. 

114. How does he rank as a historian? 

As a historian, especially of events which he saw or 
took part in, McCarthy holds a high rank. 

115. Which is his greatest historical work? 

The History of Our Own Times. 



Summary of Chapter III., Book III. 

1. The nineteenth century was a period of great 
change in Ireland. 

2. Catholic Emancipation dates from 1829. 

3. The year 1847 witnessed the death of O'Connell 
and the starvation of many of the Irish people. 

4. The Protestant Church, which brought such 
countless woes to Ireland, was disestablished in 1869. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF IRELAND. 



411 



5. Dining the reign of Queen Victoria, Ireland 
was partially depopulated. In 1841 the population of 
the island was 8,174,000; in 1881 the population was 
only 5,160,000 — a decrease of over three millions in 
forty years. By 1891 the population had further 
fallen to 4,704,7 50; by 1901, to 4,458,775; and by 
1911 to 4,381,951. 

6. The penal laws left four millions of Irish un- 
able to read or write, when Catholic emancipation be- 
came a fact in 1829. 

7. The Irish people love knowledge, and have made 
marvellous progress in a short time. Ireland is now 
the least illiterate country in the world. 

8. Irish genius has done much to enrich English 
literature. 

9. The Irish language seemed to be gradually dying 
out; but determined efforts were made in the nine- 
teen tli century to save it, and are still being continued. 

10. Moore was the first Irish Catholic who became 
a master of the English language. 

11. Dr. Doyle was the first Irish Catholic bishop 
who wielded a powerful pen in English. 

12. Moore's Irish Melodies are among the immor- 
tal masterpieces of English literature. 

13. The " Young Ireland Party" originated a new 
and brilliant school of literature. Among the emi- 
nent writers of this school were Davis, Duffy, Man- 
gan, Williams, McGee, and D. F. MacCarthy. 

14. Eugene O'Curry and John O'Donovan were 
the most eminent Irish scholars and antiquarians of 
the nineteenth century. 

15. The principal Irish novelists of the nineteenth 
century were Griffin, Banim, Carleton, Lover, Lever, 
and McCarthy. 

27 



412 LESSONS m ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



16. Among Irish biographers, Fitzpatrick, author 
of the incomparable Life and Times of Dr. Doyle, 
ranks very high. 

17. Ireland has given to English literature its two 
best military historians — Sir William Francis Patrick 
Napier and John Cornelius O'Callaghan. 

18. Bird's-eye view of the chief Irish writers and 
works of the nineteenth century: 

Poets : 

Thomas Moore, Irish Melodies. 

Gerald Griffin, The Sister of Charity. 

Thomas Osborne Davis, My Land. 

James Clarence Mangan, Dark Rosaleen. 

Richard Dalton Williams, The Dying Girl. 

Samuel Lover, The Angel's Whisper. 

Denis Florence MacCarthy, The Voyage of St. Brendan. 

Aubrey De Vere. Inisfail, a Lyrical Chronicle of Ireland. 

Sir Samuel Ferguson, Congal. 

Prose Writers : 
John Lanigan, The Ecclesiastical History of Ireland. 
James Doyle, Letters on the State of Ireland. 
Thomas Moore, The Epicurean. 
Gerald Griffin, The Collegians. 
John Banim, The Boyne Water. 
Daniel O'Connell, Speeches. 

Richard Lalor Sheil, Legal and Political Sketches. 
Thomas Osborne Davis, Essays. 

Eugene O'Curry, Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of An- 
cient Irish History. 

John O'Donovan, Translation of The Annals of the Four Mas- 
ters. 

Samuel Lover, Rory O'More. 

William Carleton, The Poor Scholar. 

Charles James Lever, Charles O'M alley. 

John MacIIale, Public Letters. 

Thomas N. Burke, Lectures and Sermons. 

Sir ?amuel Ferguson, Hibernian Nights' Entertainments. 

r ll l J an lJB- H. Lecky, History of European Morals. 

•lust m McCarthy, History of Our Own Times. 

In the Short Dictionary at the end of this book 
reference is made to other Irish writers of English of 
the nineteenth century. 



BOOK IV. 

THE ENGLISH LITERATURE OF AMERICA 



CHAPTER I. 

THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 
A. D. 1700 to, 1800. 
The Age of Franklin, Jefferson, and Hamilton. 



HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 

1 The Young American Republic— The in- 
comparable Christopher Columbus made known to 
Europe that a New World lay across the Atlantic 
Spain, France, England, and other nations were not 
slow in sending out expeditions for the purpose of 
further discovery and exploration. Colonization tol- 
lowed. No permanent English settlement, however, 
was made before the seventeenth century, when i a 
party of colonists stepped ashore on the banks ot the 
James River, Virginia, and began to build Jamestown 
in 1607. One hundred and two English Puritans 
landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620 and that 
was the starting-point of New England. The ( ath- 
olic colonv of Maryland— the first home ot religious 
freedom in America— was founded by Lord Baltimore 
in 1634. The Dutch settled New York, and in 162b 
Manhattan Island was bought from the Indians for 
twentv-four dollars. Pennsylvania was first colo- 
nized" by Quakers under William Perm, m lbbv. 



414 



LESSONS IiST ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



Georgia, the last of the thirteen English colonies, was 
settled in 1733. 

The immortal labors of the Catholic missionaries 
among the Indians form undoubtedly the first and 
brightest chapter in our history. White was the apos- 
tle of Maryland; Jogues toiled among the Iroquois 
of New York, and gave his life for the true faith ; and 
while opening heaven to the red man, Marquette dis- 
covered the Mississippi. The names of these and 
other illustrious priests are to this day household 
words.* 

The first event that drew the thirteen English colo- 
nies closely together, and served to reveal their united 
power, was the French and Indian war, which began 
in 1755. The same event gave George Washington his 
early military experience. It was a fierce conflict. For 
a time, under the skilled leadership of Montcalm, for- 
tune seemed to favor the French ; but after a struggle 
of seven }^ears, the fleur-de-lis disappeared from Can- 
ada. France made over to England all her posses- 
sions east of the Mississippi. England was mistress 
of North America. 

Montcalm had the keenness to foresee and to foretell 
i bat, as soon as the English colonists in America were 
relieved of the presence of a hostile French neighbor, 
they would feel themselves independent of English 
protection, and that revolt, sooner or later, would be 
the result of that feeling. He was right. England 
soon began to lord it with a high hand over the Amer- 
icans. Resistance followed. And less than sixteen 
years after the roar of the last cannon fired on the 
Plains of Abraham, at Quebec, had died away, the 
heroism of brave men made Bunker Hill ever famous 



* See The Catholic Pioneers of America. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF AMERICA. 415 



in the annals of this Republic. The Declaration of 
Independence was made on July 4th, 1776. 

The War of the Revolution lasted eight years to a 
day, and no conflict of modern times has had such 
happy results. The aid of France was essential to 
our success. Providence sent that "friend in need" 
at the right moment. The English flag— emblem of a 
tyrannical power — disappeared in 1783, from Maine 
to Georgia, and the Stars and Stripes waved grace- 
fully over a new land — "the land of the free and the 
home of the brave." 

In 1787 the Constitution of the United States was 
drawn up at a convention held in Philadelphia, of 
which Washington was president. After much, dis- 
cussion it was ratified by all the States. Washington 
was elected first President in 1789, and his two terms 
of office and that of John Adams carry us to the close 
of the eighteenth century. 

2. Some of the Agents that Influenced Early 
American Literature. — It is not hard to under- 
stand that the circumstances which surrounded the 
first American colonists were quite unfavorable to lit- 
erary work — especially literary work of a high order. 
The pen is no doubt a mighty power in old communi- 
ties, but in new settlements the axe, gun, spade, and 
plough are the leading instruments of progress. The 
pioneers of the New World had to subdue a rude, 
wild continent. Vast forests were to be cut down. 
New homes had to be erected. The wants of the hour 
were imperative. 

The first English book written in America was 
Captain John Smith's (1580P-1631) A True Rela- 
tion, which was printed in England in 1608. William 
Strachey's A True Beportory of the Wrache and Re- 
demption of Sir Thomas Gates, Knight, upon and 



416 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



from the Hands of the Bermudas, written in America 
and printed (1610) in England, is intrinsically im- 
portant on account of its style, and has an added in- 
terest because it is supposed to have furnished some 
materials for Shakespeare's play of The Tempest. 
John Winthrop (1588-16-19) deserves mention for his 
History of New England, which is in the form of a 
diary . The first book printed in America was the Bay 
Psalm Book, published at Cambridge, Massachusetts, 
in 1640, and containing renderings of the Psalms 
into rude metre by several collaborators, the chief of 
whom were Eichard Mather, Thomas Welde, and John 
Eliot. The first American poet was Anne Bradstreet 
(1612-1672). She wrote contemplative and didactic 
poems on such subjects as "The Four Seasons of the 
Year," "The Four Ages of Man," and "The Four Ele- 
ments." Her collected pieces were published in Lon- 
don in 1650 under the ambitious title of The Tenth 
Muse Lately Sprung Up in America; but it is only 
fair to say that she herself was no party to this pom- 
pous description. A versifier more popular at the time 
than Mrs. Bradstreet was Michael Wigglesworth 
(1 031-1705), pastor of Maiden, Massachusetts, whose 
Day of Doom, a long poem on the Last Judgment, 
published in 1662, had considerable vogue and was 
even taught to children along with their catechism. 
Hie name of Mather is a distinguished one in colonial 
literary history. Eichard Mather, a contributor, as 
already stated, to the Bay Psalm Boole, was father of 
I ncrease Mather (1639-1723) and grandfather of Cot- 
ton Mather (1663-1728), who are both credited with 
an enormous output of books. To Increase are as- 
signed nearly 150, and to Cotton nearly 400. Increase 
Mather's best-known works are the Relation of the 
Troubles (1677) and an Essay for the Recording of 
luminous Providences (1684). Cotton Mather's 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF AMERICA. 417 



Magnolia Christi Americana, or The Ecclesiastical 
History of New England (London, 1702), is defaced 
by pedantry, but is otherwise a most valuable histori- 
cal work. Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), who was 
closely associated with the revivalist movement known 
as the "Great Awakening" about the middle of the 
eighteenth century, was a great composer of sermons, 
but is now remembered principally on account of his 
masterpiece, the Treatise on the Freedom of the Will. 
Writers of humorous verse were John Seccomb (1708- 
1792), Mather Byles (fl. 1733-1765), and Joseph 
Green (1706-1780). The first tragedy written in 
America was staged at Philadelphia in 1767. It was 
called The Prince of Parthia, was in blank verse, and 
was the work of Thomas Godfrey (1736-1763), who 
was also the author of some lyric poetry. 

This necessarily short and rapid survey of the 
writers of the colonial period brings us down to the 
revolutionary era. The best minds were stirred to 
fervent patriotic action and expression by the revolt 
of the colonies from the mother country : the battle of 
freedom was fought by the tongue and pen as well as 
by the sword. 



LESSON L 

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. DIED 1790, 

Chief works: (1) Autobiography. 

(2) Essays. 

(3) Correspondence. 

1. What author holds a commanding: position in the Ameri- 
can literature of the eighteenth century? 

Benjamin Franklin, who was equally illustrious as 
a man of letters, statesman, and philosopher. 



418 LESSONS IN" ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



2. Tell us something of his life. 

Franklin was a native of Boston, and had to leave 
school at the age of ten. He learned the art of print- 
ing, went to Philadelphia, and soon became a leader 
of public opinion. He signed the Declaration of In- 
dependence, and was one of the great figures in the 
Eevoluiion. 

3. Which is his most exquisite literary production? 

An Autobiography, which is one of the most charm- 
ing and instructive v/orks of the kind ever written. 

4. What range of subjects do Franklin's Essays cover? 

Morals, Commerce, Politics, and Political Econ- 
omy. 

5. How are his Letters regarded? 

He w r as an admirable letter-writer, and it has been 

w r ell said that in his correspondence a perfect picture 
of Franklin himself is presented. 

6. Through what publication did Franklin first become well 
known? 

Through his Poor Richard's Almanac, an exceed- 
ingly popular publication.* 

7. Mention one of his most important discoveries in the 
field of natural science. 

Franklin was the first to prove that lightning is 
electricity, and he invented the lightning-rod. 

"This self-taught American is the most rational, perhaps, of 
ail philosophers. He never loses sight of common-sense in anv 
01 ins speculations ; and when his philosophy does not consist 



* Some of the most popular of our proverbs appeared in the 

Almanac, as : 

Earlv to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthv, wealthv, 

and w isr. " 

Diligence is the mother of good luck. 

Never leave that till to-morrow which vou can do to-dav. 

want <>i rare does us more damage than want of knowledge. 

\\ hat maintains one vice would bring up two children. 

It Is hard for an empty bag to stand upright. 

God gives all things to industry. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF AMERICA. 419 



entirely in its fair and vigorous application, it is always regu- 
lated and controlled by it in its application and results. No in- 
dividual, perhaps, ever possessed a juster understanding, or was 
so seldom obstructed in its use by indolence, enthusiasm, or 
authority. The distinguishing feature of his understanding was 
great soundness and sagacity, combined with extraordinary 
quickness of penetration. He possessed also a strong and lively 
imagination, which gave his speculations, as well as his conduct, 
a singularly original tone. The peculiar charm of his writings, 
and his great merit also in action, consisted in the clearness with 
which he saw an object, and the bold and steady pursuit of it bv 
the surest and the shortest road." — Lord Jeffrey. 



LESSON II. 



OTHER NOTED WRITERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 

8. Name a few of the other most noted writers of the Rev- 
olutionary Era. 

Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Fre- 
neau, Trumbull, Patrick Henry, and Charles Brock- 
den Brown. 

9. What are the chief productions that we possess from the 
pen of George Washington? 

The Inaugurals (1789 and 1793 ), the famous Fare- 
well Address* written in 1796, and a collection of in- 
teresting Letters. The great man who was "first in 
war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his coun- 
trymen," was master of a clear, manly, dignified style. 
He wrote as a man of large and luminous views. 

10. What work created an imperishable renown for Thomas 
Jefferson as a writer and a patriot? 

The Declaration of Independence * 

11. Who has been styled the ablest political writer of the 
Revolution? 

Alexander Hamilton. 



* The reader should make himself familiar with this pro- 
duction. 



420 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE, 



12. What great work do we owe to the joint authorship of 
Alexander Hamilton and James Madison ? 

The Federalist. 

13. What is The Federalist? 

It is a small volume containing eighty-five essays,* 
which were designed to explain the merits of the Con- 
stitution to the American people. The essays appeared 
in the interval between the publication and the adop- 
tion of rhe Constitution. 

14. Who were the two most noted poets of the Revolutionary 
Era? 

Philip Freneau and J ohn Trumbull. Freneau wrote 
political satires and imaginative poems. Trumbull's 
McFingal, a satirical poem in the style of Butler's 
Hudibras, is still published and read. 

15. Who was the greatest orator of the Revolution? 

Patrick Henry, whose fiery, trumpet-toned elo- 
quence aroused the Colonies and infused the courage 
to battle for liberty into the hearts of his timid, hesi- 
tating countrymen. 

16. Who was the greatest American novelist of this period? 

Charles Brockden Brown. From 1778 to 1801 he 
produced six novels, namely, Wieland; Ormond; Ar- 
thur Mervyn; Edgar Huntley; Clara Howard; and 

Jane Talbot. 



Summary of Chapter I., Book IV. 

1. Some strong external influence was required to 
consolidate the thirteen English Colonies, and such 
;1 " event was ike French and Indian War. 



twen* nine, 0i atd ty Tohn fa? y & e ? amllton ™ fift ^one, Madison 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF AMERICA. 



421 



2. The next great event that drew them together in 
still closer union was the American Revolution, and 
from this glorious revolt we date the birth of a new 
nation. 

3. Bird's-eye view of the chief American writers 
and works of the eighteenth century: 

Cotton Mather, Magnolia Christi Americana 

Jonathan Edwards, Freedom of the Will. 

Benjamin Franklin. Autobiography. 

George Washington, Farewell Address. 

Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence. 

Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist (in part). 

James Madison, The Federalist (in part). 

Philip Freneau, Poems. 

John Trumbull, McFingal. 

Patrick Henry, Speeches. 

Charles Brockden Brown, Novels * 

- In the Short Dictionary at the end of this book 
reference is made to other American writers of Eng- 
lish of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. 



CHAPTER II. 

THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. 
A. D. 1800 to 1900. 



HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 

1. A Glimpse at the United States in the 
Nineteenth Century.— The history of this Repub- 
lic during the Nineteenth Century was, on the whole, 
one of peace and marvellous progress. Prom 1801 to 
1901 twenty-two Presidents ruled the nation. We 
had four wars. f The conflict known as the War of 
1812 was caused by the insolent attitude of England 
and her outrageous claim to search American vessels 
on the high seas. The war with Mexico, which began 

* For a very full account of early American literature, see Ty- 
ler's History of American Literature. 

f Most of the European monarchies have had from four to 
eight wars, or more, during the same period. 



422 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



in 1845, added a large strip of continent to our terri- 
tory. The civil war, however terrible in some as- 
pects, happily settled two momentous questions that 
had long agitated the country : 

(1) It abolished slavery. 

(2) It solemnly decided that no State or number 
of States has the right to withdraw from the Union 
known as the United States. 

When the first census of this country was taken in 
1790, it showed a population of over three millions of 
inhabitants. These brave, intelligent people had just 
commenced the most interesting political experiment 
in the history of mankind — they had undertaken to 
govern themselves. Heaven blessed the undertaking. 
We see its success. The population of the continental 
United States in 1900 was nearly seventy-six millions, 
which by 1910 had increased to nearly ninety-two mil- 
lions. Our territory has grown even more rapidly 
than our population. The thirteen original States 
occupied little more than a narrow strip of country 
along the Atlantic coast, with claims as far west as 
the Mississippi. By purchase or conquest, the whole 
country west of the Father of Waters has since been 
added. This Eepublic is not merely one nation, but 
a grand cluster of nations — the most numerous and 
extensive alliance of States that has ever been known 
in the history of the world. 

2. The CiiiEF Agents that Influenced the 
Literature of This Period.— It has been well re- 
marked that "after the achievement of independence 
and the establishment of a national government, the 
American people were too busy in the work of national 
progress to give much attention to literature and 
science. There were, indeed, some honorable excep- 
tions to this remark, But, on the whole, the growth 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF AMERICA. 423 

of the nation in this direction was by no means equal 
to its progress in other respects." 

In the early years of the century an American book 
with the stamp of ability on it was such a rare article 
that the Edinburgh Review asked with a sneer, "Who 
reads an American book?" Time has made a con- 
siderable change. The London Athenceum, in 1880, 
declared that "an American book has nearly always 
something fresh and striking about it to English 
readers." Much of later nineteenth century Ameri- 
can literature, as well as of the American literature of 
to-day, is distinctly high class and individualistic* 



LESSON I. 

WASHINGTON IRVING. DIED 1859. 
Chief works : (1) Knickerbocker's History of Neio York. 

(2) The Sketch-Book. 

(3) The Life of Columbus. 

(4) The Conquest of Granada. 

(5) The Life of Washington. 

1. Who was Washington Irving? 

Washington Irving was a most distinguished essay- 
ist, historian, and biographer. 

2. Give a short account of his life. 

He was born in New York City in 1783, spent many 
years in Europe, and was one of the first Americans 
to make literature a profession. 



* Periodical literature has had an unparalleled development 
in the United States. The earliest American newspaper to h<> 
successfully established was the Boston News-Letter, founded in 
1704. Two previous attempts, in 1689 and 1690, respectively, 
were promptly suppressed by the Government of Massachusetts. 
The number of dailies, weeklies, monthlies, and quarterlies ex- 
isting at present in this Republic is almost beyond count. 
Among the best-known magazines and reviews are The North 
American Review, The Atlantic Monthly, The Catholic World, 
The Century Magazine, and The American Catholic Quarterly 
Review, 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



3. What is Knickerbocker's History of New York? 

It is a burlesque chronicle, written in such a quiet 
vein of comic humor that many a dull person has 
taken it for true history. Sir Walter Scott said that 
in reading it he laughed till his sides were sore. 

4. What is the Sketch-Book? 

It is an exquisite collection of light, charming 
sketches, tales, legends, descriptions, etc. The two 
most famous pieces arc Rip Van Winkle and Tin e Leg- 
end of Sleepy Holloiv. 

5. What do you think of Irving's Life of Columbus? 

It is a great work, marred, however, by some seri- 
ous errors that do much injustice to the shining char- 
acter of Columbus.* 

6. What is The Conquest of Granada? 

It is a chapter of Spanish history full of interest 
and romance. 

7. Which is his last and largest biographical work? 

The Life of Washington, the last volume of which 
was issued only three months before the death of 
Irving. It is a work truly worthy of the author and 
the illustrious subject. 

• , '' Irvi r.g: as an historian, is subject to one grave criticism. He 
Hm£ ?.i£2 B ?i m + 1S ^.tpent of the subject, and his style is at 
mn.-s altogether too florid." — Hart. 

'The ^tch-Book, on the whole,' remains the best example of 

wm&TfcSS v W ?5 mm ?'*. as does < numor < P athos > and a 
wonderful felicity of description."— C F. Richardson. 

Donuiar S ?lu' J rVm - g may b i safely Pronounced to be the most 
ffihvPvprvL^ 1116 ^ a ^ ors - His works are known and 
SfSS Diednch Knickerbocker, Sleepy Hollow. Dolf 
houillnhi S F 5 ne ' andRi P Van Winkle have become 

m vi t^l and £° rms ' . No other nations of the imagin- 
- have taken such prominence in American literature."— 



trostaortl'v SSlSf gr0S - S error of some of the older and least 
Columb^ with S sa -^ in several places that the relation of 
I t ' h , , I « i t^ eC .° nd wif l was not sanctioned by marriage, 
tor th r . SL n T * ln acc °rdance with the facts. It remained 
century to 5vp 2 *Z g X™' • a i >out the middle of the nineteenth 
Kr, ; , '< is , vt of* meriS 1 S *° tWS shameful slander on the 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF AMERICA. 425 



LESSON II. 



JAMES FE XI MORE COOPER. DIED 1851. 

Chief works: (1) Thirty-three Novels. 

(2) Naval History of the United States. 

(3) Lives of Distinguished American Naval 

Officers. 

NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE. DIED 1864. 

Chief works : ( 1 ) Short Stories. 

(2) Novels. 

(3) Note-Books. 



8. What two writers may be safely chosen as representative 
American novelists of the earlier part of the nineteenth century? 

Cooper and Hawthorne. 

9. Tell us something of Cooper's career. 

James Fenimore Cooper was born in New Jersey 
in 1789; studied for a time at Yale College; entered 
the navy ; but devoted a large part of his life to lit- 
erature. He was among the first American writers to 
obtain a reputation in Europe,- and his novels were 
translated into nearly every European language. 

10. Name a few of his most admired productions. 

The Spy, The Pioneers, and The Last of the Mo- 
hicans, all works of fiction. The Spy, the first suc- 
cessful American novel, was issued in 1821. It is a 
tale of the Eevolution. The second pictures frontier 
life and glows with descriptions of forest scenery ; the 
last is his most popular Indian tale. 

11. Can you point out in a few words some of Cooper's 
merits and defects? 

He is among the most original and truly national 
of American writers, and his best novels are full of 
romantic interest. But he is very unequal. He wrote 



426 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



much that is worthless. He has little humor or pa- 
thos; his descriptions are often wearisome in detail; 
and though his style is direct and manly, it is never 
graceful. His Indian characters are for the most part 
falsely drawn. 

12. Do you know anything about Hawthorne's life? 

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born, at Salem, Massa- 
chusetts, in 1804, and educated at Bowdoin College, 
whence he graduated in 1825, with Longfellow as a 
classmate. He held a number of public offices, but 
the greater part of his life was passed in quiet seclu- 
sion. 

13. Name his finest works. 

The Scarlet Letter, a powerful romance of early 
life in New England; The House of the Seven Gables, 
an intense and solemn story, the scene of which is 
laid in Salem; and The Marble Faun, a romance of 
Italy. 

14. Sum up Hawthorne's principal good qualities and defects 
as a writer. 

Most critics place him at the head of American 
novelists. He was a master of pure idiomatic Eng- 
I ish. But, on the other hand, his pages are often tinged 
willi gloom and melancholy— too much "sicklied o'er 
with the pale cast of thought." 



Cooper was American through and through. He did not 
I 'Mtatr. In some of his later stories, to satirize the 'louder' na- 
tional characteristics; but to him more than to any other author 
v „ i • "Rasing attention to home subjects and heroes. 

>n us writings undoubtedly, a part of the English public got 
bnffa i2S ^'S T"7? rblc ^ lt nas witn difficulty corrected— that 
ill n • Indians form the most conspicuous features in our 
civilization. — Richardson. 



I t) \ r I u H greate ?J work s are unquestionably The Scarlet 
I 'm • of 'f °J fl l e Seven Ga&tes, and The Marble Faun. 

i t f,, T* ' hS of P as ! a S es ' !ong and intense, where the 
rharaoJ™ Vc b i« every word is a thought or a picture. The 
■ • t i LI ,n ? n ^ crful ! y defined °y a succession of clear, deli- 
One wli tvVi hiS° V if m . an atDQ o«Phere of broadening fancy. 
• a Tt. 1 bv Hw ? strong enough to overcome the spell 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF AMERICA. 427 



LESSON III. 

HENRY WADS WORTH LONGFELLOW. DIED 1882. 
Chief works: (1) Evangeline, and other Poems. 

(2) Prose Works. 

(3) Translations. 

15. Who was Longfellow? 

Henry Wadstvorth Longfellow, the most distin- 
guished of American poets, was a native of Portland, 
Maine, where he was born in 1807. He was educated 
at Bowdoin College, and for twenty years was profes- 
sor of modern languages and belles-letters in Harvard 
University. He devoted the last twenty-eight years of 
his life chiefly to writing. 

16. Which is his most celehrated poem? 

Evangeline, a Catholic tale, pathetic, religious, and 
beautiful. The choice of subject was very happy.* 
It is the most exquisite work of the kind in English 
literature. 

17. Name some of his other poems. 

The Golden Legend, a picture of civil and monastic 
life in the middle ages ; The Song of Hiawatha, which 
deals in a rather misty manner with Indian life and 
legends; and the Tales of , ti. Wayside Inn, a collection 
somewhat after the fashion of the Canterbury Tales. 



* The tale of Evangeline is founded on a sad chapter of Ameri- 
can history. The French were the first settlers of Nova Scotia, 
and under their rule it was known as Acadie, or Acadia. In 1755 
the English, without any cause, brutally destroyed the French 
settlements of Acadia, and dispersed 18.000 souls over the other 
British colonies. The peaceful inhabitants — all Catholics — were 
compelled to give up their property, the houses and crops wore 
burned before their eyes, and they themselves shipped in such 
haste that few families or friends remained together. "To this 
day," writes Hazletine. "the western coast of Nova Scotia, 
blessed as it is in a mild climate and fertile soil, discovers many 
traces of the patient industry which made this district a French 
Eden," 



28 



428 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



18. Mention a few of his^flne&t and most admired short pieces. 

The Psalm of Life;* Excelsior; The Wreck of the 
Hesperus; The Village Blacksmith; and The Hang- 
ing of the Crane. 

19. Name two of Longfellow's most-admired prose works. 

Hyperion and Eavanagh, two interesting romances. 

20. Which is his chief work as a translator? 

The Divine Comedy of Dante. He has preserved 
the spirit as well as the form of the original ; and his 
work has been pronounced the best English rendering 
of the greatest work in Italian literature. 

21. Can you point out some of the most noted merits and de- 
fects of Longfellow as a poet? 

Longfellow was a trained word-artist, and his style 
is noted for grace, finish, and felicity, rather than for 
vigor of thought or depth of passion. His characters 
do not stand before the mind with sufficient clearness. 
They pass like shadows. A good critic has remarked 
that Evangeline, of all the characters Longfellow has 
aimed to draw, stands forth in the memory of his 
readers with some distinctness of outline. 



''Coming generations, it is believed, will cherish Longfellow 
chiefly as a sweet singer. His future fame will rest upon those 
snort, exquisitely simple utterances that speak for the weary 
heart and aching brain of all humanity." — J. 8. Hart. 

"Whatever shortcomings and limitations may be ascribed to 
Longfellow's genius, it is certain that no contemporary poet — not 
oven Tennyson — has been so universally and cordially welcomed 
by the English-speaking race. ' '—Hasletiwe. 



* Among its often-quoted stanzas are the following : 
"Lives of great men all remind us 
We can make our lives sublime, 
And. departing, leave behind us 
Footprints on the sands of time ; — 
"Footprints, that perhaps another, 
Sailing o'er life's solemn main, 
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, 
Seeing, shall take heart again. 
"Let us, then, be up and doing, 
With a heart for any fate ; 
fetill achieving, still pursuing, 
Learn to labor and to wait" 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF AMERICA. 



429 



LESSON" IV. 

EDGAR ALLAN POE. DIED 1849. 

22. Give a short account of the career of Edgar Allan Poe. 

Poet, writer of prose tales, and critic, Edgar Allan 
Poe was born in Boston in 1809, and was educated 
partly in England, partly in the University of Vir- 
ginia, and partly at West Point Military Academy. 
On his expulsion from the last-named institution, he 
devoted himself to journalism and literature, but he 
marred fine prospects of success by addiction to drink 
and opium. He died at Baltimore in 1849. 

23. Name some of Poe's principal poems. 

Israfel; The Ear en; The Bells; Annabel Lee; Ula- 
lume; Al Aaraaf; The Haunted Palace; and The City 
in the Sea. 

24. Which are his principal prose tales? 

From a number, the following may be selected as 
fairlv representative : The Fall of the House of Usher; 
The Murders in the Rue Morgue; The Descent Into 
the Mwlstrom; The Pit and the Pendulum : The Cash 
of Amontillado; and Ligeia. 

25. What rank does Poe hold as a poet? 

He ranks very high among American lyric poets. 

26. What are the principal features of his prose tales? 

Mystery, horror, and terror. 

27. What class of story, since much practised, did he origi- 
nate? 

The detective story, in The Murders of the Rue 
Morgue, The Mystery of Marie RogH, and The Pur- 
loined Letter. 



430 LESSONS IN. ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



28. Did Poe exercise much influence? 

Yes; he influenced writers so different as Tenny- 
son, Kossetti, Swinburne, Jules Verne, De Maupas- 
sant, and Stevenson, as well as nearly all writers of 
detective tales. 

29. How is Poe regarded as a critic? 

His criticism was much derided in his own day, but 
it has since found greater acceptance. 



LESSON V. 

REPRESENTATIVE ORATORS — WEBSTER, EVERETT, 
PHILLIPS. 

30. Who was Daniel Webster? 

Daniel Webster, the son of a farmer, was born in 
~New Hampshire in 1782, and educated at Dartmouth 
College. He studied law. He was a member of the 
United States Senate for the last twenty-five years of 
his life, except for two periods when he was Secretary 
of State. He died in 1852. 

31. What is his rank as an orator? 

Among American orators it is commonly conceded 
that Webster holds the first place. 

32. What do you remark of his style? 

Webster's style is simple and luminous; it is re- 
markable for great vigor of reasoning and closeness 
of statement. It is impressive rather than brilliant, 
and occasionally rises to real grandeur. 

33. Name some of his finest speeches. 

The Reply to Hayne, the Bunker Hill Monument 
Discourse, and the Eulogy on Adams and Jefferson. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF AMERICA. 431 



34. Who was Everett? 

Edward Everett, one of the most distinguished of 
American orators, was born near Boston in 1794, was 
educated at Harvard, and filled various public posi- 
tions, as Secretary of State and U. S. Senator from 
Massachusetts. He died in 1865. 

35. What is his chief literary work? 

Orations, in four large volumes. 

36. Mention one of the leading characteristics of his Orations. 

Everett's Orations have a finish and symmetry 
which, on every page, give token of the richly-endowed 
and thorough scholar. The stvle is extremely grace- 
ful. 

37. Who was Wendell Phillips? 

Wendell Phillips was born in Boston in 1811, and 
studied at Harvard. He died in 1884. He was long 
an anti-slavery advocate, and won a high reputation 
as a lecturer on art and literature. Among his Ora- 
tions, the one on Daniel O'Connell is marked by his 
best characteristics. 



"If Webster is the Michael Angelo of American oratory, 
Everett is the Raphael." — Whipple. 

"Many judges rank Phillips above all other American orators 
in voice, delivery, personal magnetism, and all that constitutes 
the power of a public speaker." — Hart. 



LESSON VI. 

THREE POETS — BRYANT, WHITTIER, HOLMES. 
38. Who was Bryant? 

William Cullen Bryant, a famous American poet, 
was born in Massachusetts in 1794; was educated at 
Williams College; studied law, and was admitted to 



432 



LESSOXS IX ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



the bar. He finally devoted himself to journalism, and 
was editor of the New York Evening Post for over 
fifty years. He died, aged eighty-four, in 1878. 

39. Name some of his most admired poems. 

Thanatopsis; To a Waterfowl; A Forest Hymn; and 
The Planting of the Apple Tree. Bryant's poems are 
neither so varied nor so numerous as those of Long- 
fellow or Whittier. 

40. What are some of his leading characteristics as a poet? 

His pieces show care, finish, a love of nature, and 
— it must be added — a puritanical coldness. 

41. Who was Whittier? 

John Greenleaf Whittier, the most thoroughly 
American of all our poets, and next to Longfellow the 
most popular, was born in Massachusetts in 1807, and 
began life as a farm-hand and shoemaker. The poet 
early began to edit a newspaper, and he devoted his 
life to literature. He died in 1892. 

42. Mention some of his most popular poems. 

Snow-Bound; M and Mull er;* and BarbaraFrietcTiie. 

43. What does a recent critic say of the first-named poem? 

" Snow-Bound is a genuine New England idyl, and 
puts between its covers more of the spirit of the re- 
gion than any other American book. It will forever 
remain a national classic." 

44. Who was Holmes? 

Oliver Wendell Holmes, one of the wisest and wit- 
tiest of American writers and an eminent master of 
prose and verse, was born near Boston in 1809, and 



* Maud Midler contains the often-quoted couplet: 
"For of all sad words of tongue or pen. 
1 he saddest are these : 'It might have been.' " 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF AMERICA. 



433 



was educated at Harvard, He studied medicine in 
Europe, and for over a third of a century filled the 
chair of anatomy in the medical school of Harvard. 
He devoted his leisure time to literature. He died in 
1894. 

45. What do you remark of Holmes as a poet? 

In neatness and finish he is hardly surpassed by 
Pope or Moore. Some of his best pieces are The Last 
Leaf ; Old Ironsides; The Deacon s Master piece, or the 
Wonderful "One-Hoss Shay/' The Chambered Nau- 
tilus; and a number of short lyrics that glitter with 
gems of thought. 

46. What are Holmes's, most celebrated prose works? 

The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table; The Profes- 
sor at the Breakfast Table; The Poet at the Breakfast 
Table; and Over the Tea-Cups, in which all sorts of 
subjects, grave and gay^ are dealt with. He also wrote 
three novels — Elsie Venner; The Guardian Angel; 
and A Mortal Antipathy, 



"Bryant's poetry has truth, delicacy, and correctness, as well 
as uncommon vigor and richness. He is always faithful to 
nature ; he selects his groups and images with judgment. Noth- 
ing is borrowed ; nothing artificial ; his pictures have an air 
of freshness and originality which could come from the student 
of nature alone." — North American Review. 

"No American poet, it mav be said, is so free as Whittier from 
obligations to English writers. He is eminently original and 
eminentlv American." — Cathcart. 

"The most concise, apt. and effective poet of the school of 
Pope this country has produced is Oliver Wendell Holmes, a 
Boston phvsician. His best lines are a series of rhymed pic- 
tures, witticisms, or senuments, let off with the precision and 
brilliancy of the scintillations that sometimes illumine the north- 
ern horizon." — Tuckerman. 



434 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



LESSON VII. 

RICHARD HILDRETH. DIED 1865. 
Chief work : History of the United States. 

GEORGE BANCROFT. DIED 1891. 
Chief work : History of the United States. 

47. What two eminent authors have most prominently identi- 
fied themselves with the history of the United States? 

Hildreth and Bancroft. 
48. Who was Hildreth? 

Richard Hildreth, a native of Massachusetts, was 
born in 1807, and was a graduate of Harvard Univer- 
sity. His life was chiefly devoted to literature. He 
died in 1865. 

49. Which is his principal work? 

The History of the United States, from the discov- 
ery of America till 1820. It is in six volumes. 

50. What are some of the merits and shortcomings ' of this 
work? 

It is a plain, straightforward narrative, and is evi- 
dently the fruit of great care, labor, and research. 
The style is somewhat dry and cold. 

51. Who was Bancroft? 

George Bancroft, the most noted historian of the 
early affairs of this country, was born in Massachu- 
setts in 1800, was educated at Harvard University and 
in Germany, and held various public positions as Sec- 
retary of the Navy and Minister to England and to 
Germany. He died in 1891. 

52. To what work did he devote the best years of his life? 

The History of the United States, which begins 
with Columbus, but only comes down to 1789. The 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF AMERICA. 435 



first volume appeared in 1834, and the twelfth and 
last in 1882. 

53. What may be said of the merits and defects of Bancroft's 
History? 

As a lecbrd of the origin and early growth of the 
United States, it is undoubtedly the most finished 
and elaborate history that has yet appeared. But as 
we pass from volume to volume, it is easy to see that 
the style is neither uniform nor always attractive. It 
is sometimes graceful and animated, then cold and 
inflated. In one important attribute of the historian, 
impartiality, Bancroft is by no means perfect. 



LESSON VIII. 

WILLIAM HICKLING PRESCOTT. DIED 1859. 

Chief works: (1) History of Ferdinand and Isabella the 
Catholic. 

(2) History of the Conquest of Mexico. 

(3) History of the Conquest of Peru. 

FRANCIS PARKMAX. DIED 1893. 

Chief works: (1) The Conspiracy of Pontiac. 

(2) Pioneers of France in the New World. 

(3) The Jesuits in North America in the Seven- 

teenth Century. 

(4) La Salle, or the Discovery of the Great 

West. 

(5) The Old Regime in Canada. 

(6) A Half Century of Conflict. 

JOHN LOTHROP MOTLEY. DIED 1877. 
Chief works: (1) The Rise of the Dutch Republic. 

(2) The United Netherlands. 

(3) The Life and Death of John of Barneveld. 

54. What distinguished American historian took ^e romantic 
story of early Spanish America as a subject for the exhibition ot 
his powers? 

Prescott. 

55. Tell us something of his life. 

William HicMing Prescott, born in Massachusetts, 
in 1796. was educated at Harvard, where the throwing 



436 



LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



of a crust of bread by a thoughtless companion cost 
him one of his eyes, and led to almost total blindness. 
His quiet, uneventful life was chiefly devoted to the 
preparation of the works that have rendered his name 
famous He died in 1859.* 

56. Which are his principal works? 

The History of Ferdinand and Isabella the Cath- 
olic; The History of the Conquest of Mexico; and The 
History of the Conquest of Peru. 

57. Of these, which is the most finished and interesting pro- 
duction? 

The History of the Conquest of Mexico. The won- 
derful interest of the narrative, the scenic descrip- 
tions, and the portraits of Cortes, Montezuma, and 
other personages, give it all the charm of an effective 
romance. 

58. What may be said of Prescott's style? 

It is a style marked by clearness, simplicity, and 
classic excellence. 

59. What eminent writer has recounted the discoveries, 
achievements, and misfortunes of the French in America? 

Parhnan. 

60. Give a brief outline of his life. 

Francis Parhman was born in Boston in 1823, was 
a graduate of Harvard, and, like Prescott, was par- 
I tally blind. Before publishing anything he travelled 
on the western prairies, with a view of studying the 
manners and characteristics of the Indians. 

61. Which was his first production of marked power? 

His! or if of the Conspiracy of Pontiac, published in 
1851. 11 tells the story of one of the most thrilling 
episodes in American history. 



admSShli u'' !'/ p . res A cot t>by George Tieknor, is one of the most 
wnuraDle works in American biography. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF AMERICA. 



437 



62. Name some of his most noted works on the French in 
America. 

The Pioneers of France in the New World; The 
Jesuits in North America; and La Salle, or the Dis- 
covery of the Great West Parkman issued eight 
works on this subject, bringing his narrative down to 
Montcalm and the last years of the French occupation 
of Canada. 

63. Of all Parkman's works, which is perhaps the most ad- 
mired? 

The Jesuits in North America, which, in spite of 
many shortcomings, is one of the most exquisite vol- 
umes in the whole range of our historical literature.* 

64. What is your opinion of the style of this author? 

It is a style of marvellous vigor, clearness, grace, 
and beauty. It lends a charm to the narrative. In 
power of description — of reproducing natural scenery 
with photographic vividness — Parkman is unap- 
proached by am^ other American writer. 

65. Give a "brief account of John Lothrop Motley. 

Born in 1814 in Massachusetts, he was educated at 
Harvard and Gottingen. He was Secretary of Lega- 
tion at St. Petersburg, Ambassador at Vienna and 
London, spent much of his time abroad, and died in 
England in 1877. 

66. What country was the subject of his historical researches? 

Holland. 

67. How are his three works dealing with the history of that 
country regarded? 

His style is picturesque and eloquent ; he made labor- 
ious researches ; he had a powerful imagination, which 
enabled him to revivify the past; but he wrote history 
in more of a partisan spirit than is compatible with 
absolute fairness. 

* For the purely material facts of the Jesuit missions Park- 
man is entirely reliable : but, as a Catholic critic has well re- 
marked, "Of the motives which governed the missionaries, of 
their faith and charity, as well as of their whole interior spirit- 
ual life, he understands less than did the untutored Indian." 



438 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



LESSON IX. 

THREE REPRESENTATIVE CATHOLIC WRITERS. 

68. What three American Catholics prelates were especially 
noted for a clear, vigorous, popular style of writing? 

Bishop England and Archbishops Hughes and 
Spalding. 

69. Tell us something of Bishop England. 

John England, first bishop of Charleston, South 
Carolina, was born, educated, ordained, and consecrated 
in Ireland. He established the first Catholic newspa- 
per in this Bepublic* He was a scholar — an apostle 
— one of the really great men of the nineteenth cen- 
tury. He died in 1842, aged fifty-six. 

70. Who first collected his works ? 

His successor, Dr. Eeynolds, who had them pub- 
lished in five large octavo volumes. Bishop England's 
busy pen touched a wide range of subjects, historical 
and controversial. His chief aim was to present the 
Catholic Church and her doctrines and practices in 
their true light before the American people. 

71. What is your opinion of his style? 

It is clear, direct, witty, and energetic, and per- 
vaded with an Irish intensity of feeling. It is the 

Btyle of a great intellect. 

72. Give a short outline of the career of Archbishop Hughes? 

John Hughes, first archbishop of New York, was 
born in Ireland, but educated in the United States. 
Be was a man of far-reaching views and wonderful 
energy. He died in 1864, aged sixty-seven. 



* The U. 8. Catholic Miscellany, in 1822. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF AMERICA. 439 

73. Do you know anything of Dr. Hughes as a writer? 

After his death his writings were published in two 
large volumes, which remain a monument of his un- 
common power as an able essayist — a skilful and in- 
cisive writer. A very busy life, however, prevented 
Archbishop Hughes from writing a great work on 
any one subject. 

74. Tell us something of Dr. Spalding, 

Martin John Spalding, who died archbishop of 
Baltimore, in 1872, was a native of Kentucky; was 
educated at Borne; and was one of the most promi- 
nent prelates at the General Council of the Vatican. 

75. Name his chief works. 

History of the Protestant Reformation in Europe, 
the most comprehensive work on that subject in Eng- 
lish literature; Miscellanea,, a valuable collection of 
forty-six essays, lectures, and reviews on a wide va- 
riety of popular topics; and the Evidences of Catho- 
licity, in a series of fourteen eloquent lectures. Dr. 
Spalding's style is more forcible than finished.* 



* For a fuller account of the Catholic writers of this Re- 
public, see the Popular History of the Catholic Church in the U 
8., Book V., chaps, i.-iii 



110 LESSONS m ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



LESSON X. 

RALPH WALDO EMERSON. DIED 1882. 

Chief works: (1) Nature, Addresses, Lectures. 

(2) Representative Men. 

(3) English Traits. 

(4) Conduct of Life. 

(5) Society and Solitude. 

(6) Essays. 

(7) Poems. 

JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL. DIED 1891. 

Chief works: (1) The Vision of Sir Launfal. 

(2) The Biglow Papers. 

(3) My Study Windows. 

(4) Among My Books. 

(5) Fireside Travels. 

76. Give a short account of the career of Ralph Waldo 

Emerson. 

Born in Boston in 1803, he was educated at Har- 
vard ; entered the ministry, but resigned ; took up lec- 
turing and literature as a profession; and, after an 
uneventful life, died in 1882. 

77. Name his principal works. 

Essays; Lectures; Representative Men; and Poems. 

78. Did Emerson's writings exercise much influence? 

In his heyday, from about 1840 to 1870, Emerson's 
was probably the most dominant intellectual influence 
in America. Even yet his influence as an ethical 
teacher is far from spent. In particular, his thoughts 
and ideas are traceable through much of the verse of 
the end of the nineteenth century. 

79 Give a short account of the career of James Russell 

Lowell. 

Essayist, poet, humorist, and diplomat, Lowell was 
born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1819; was edu- 
cated al Harvard ; studied law, but gave it up for lit- 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF AMERICA. 441 



erature; succeeded Longfellow in 1855 as Smith pro- 
fessor of Belles Lettres at Harvard; was first editor 
of The A tlantic Monthly, and later joint editor of The 
North A merican Review; was Minister to Spain and 
Ambassador to England; and died in 1891. 

80. Which are the best known of his poems? 

The Biglow Papers, probably the greatest Ameri- 
can political satire ; The Vision of Sir Launfal, a 
poetic allegory ; the Harvard Commemoration Ode of 
1865; and The Cathedral, 

81. Which are his principal critical works? 

My Study Windotvs and Among My Boohs. 

82. How does he rank among American men of letters? 

He is one of America's representative writers, and 
holds a very high rank. 



LESSON XL 

ORESTES A. BROWNSOST. DIED 1876. 

83. Who was Dr. Brownson? 

Orestes A. Brownson, one of the ablest reviewers 
and most distinguished philosophers that America 
produced during the nineteenth century, was born in 
Vermont in 1803. He owed little to schools, and was 
a self -t; night man. After years of wandering from 
one Protestant sect to another, he became a Catholic 
in 1841, and thenceforth he devoted his pen with 
manly energy to the cause of the true faith. 

84. What famous periodical did he conduct, almost single- 
handed, from 1844 till 1864? 

Brownson' s Quarterly Revietv, which ceased publi- 
cation in 1864. He revived the Review in 1873, and 



442 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

for two years more he sustained it with a vigor and 
brilliancy unsurpassed at any previous date. 

85. Name some of his chief works. 

The Spirit-Rapper; The Convert, or Leaves from 
My Experience; Essays and Reviews; and The Ameri- 
can Republic. Dr. Brownson's complete works, in 
eighteen volumes, were edited by his son, Henry M. 
Brownson. 

86. Which is his masterpiece? 

The American Republic, a work of extraordinary 
merit, in which the Constitution of the United States 
is explained in a manner never before attempted or 
approached. 

87. What are some of the chief characteristics of Dr. Brown- 
son's writings? 

Boldness, originality, gigantic grasp of intellect, 
and a style of uncommon purity, vigor, and clearness. 



"Brownson's ability as a writer and thinker has never been 
called in question." — Hart. 

In Brownson's writings can be found "the terse logic of Ter- 
tullian, the polemic crash of St. Jerome, the sublime eloquence of 
Bossuet, all in combination or alternation, with many sweet 
strains of tenderness and playful flashes of humor. His style 
has a magnificent Doric beauty seldom surpassed — rarely even 
equalled."— Catholic World. 



LESSON XII. 

SAMUEL LANGHORNE CLEMENS. DIED 1910. 
88. Give a hrief account of Samuel Langhorne Clemens. 

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, who is more easily 
recognizable by his pen-name of "Mark Twain," was 
pom in Missouri in 1835, was printer, pilot, journal- 
ist, miner, and lecturer in turn, but is principally 
known as a humorist. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF AMERICA. 443 

89. What are his principal works? 

The Innocents Abroad; The Adventures of Tom 
Sawyer; Huckleberry Finn; A Connecticut Yankee in 
King Arthurs Court; Pudd'nhead Wilson; and Joan 
of Arc. 

90. What is the nature of the first five works named? 

They are all of the humorous order. 

91. What is Joan of Arc? 

It is a rather whimsical historical novel, in which 
the memoirs of the Maid of Orleans, as written by her 
secretary, are supposed to be given. 

92. What is The Gilded Age? 

It is a story which Clemens wrote in collaboration 
with Charles Dudley Warner. The principal charac- 
ter is Colonel Sellers, who, though in a chronic state 
of impecuniosity, poses as the promoter of gigantic 
business ventures. This character is said to have been 
drawn from life. 

93. What is your estimate of "Mark Twain?" 

He pokes fun rather indiscriminately, and is some- 
times highly irreverent towards religious beliefs and 
objects of veneration ; but, with all due allowance for 
these faults, he is a great and a genuine humorist. 



Summary of Chapter II., Book IV. 

1. The growth and material progress of this Ee- 
public during the nineteenth century were marvellous. 

2. Irving's varied powers and exquisite style are 
best repiesented in The Sketch-Book. 

3. Cooper was one of the first American novelists 
to gain a European reputation. 

29 



444 LESSONS IN* ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

4. It is still safe to say that Longfellow is the most 
distinguished American poet, and holds the place of 
honor. 

5. Poe's reputation both as a poet and a writer of 
short stories stands very high. 

6. Emerson's lectures and writings had a great and 
far-reaching influence. 

7. The great American historians of the nineteenth 
century are Prescott,, Bancroft, Motley, and Parkman. 

8. Lowell is, perhaps, our most able literary critic. 

9. Bishop England was the founder of Catholic 
journalism in this Eepublic. 

10. Archbishop Spalding's History of the Protest- 
ant Reformation is the most comprehensive work on 
that subject in English. 

11. Dr. Brownson stands among the leading Ameri- 
can reviewers and philosophers of the nineteenth cen- 
tury. 

12. Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as 
"Mark Twain/' may be regarded as standing at the 
head of American humorists. 

13. Bird's-eye view of the American authors and 
works of the nineteenth century: 

Poets : 

Henry W. Longfellow, Evangeline. 

Edgar Allan Poe, Lyric Poems. 

William Cullen Bryant, Thanatopsis. 

John Greenleaf Whittier. Snow-Bound. 

Oliver Wendell Holmes, The Last Leaf. 

James Russell Lowell, The Vision of Sir Launfal. 

Prose-Writers : 
Washington Irving, The Sketch-Booh. 
James Fenimore Cooper. The Spy. 
Nathanel Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter 
Daniel Webster, Speeches. 
Edward Everett, Orations. 
Wendell Phillips Orations. 

R?Ph7^ B H?M r0f Jt H i s H ry °f the Vnited states - 
n ! gildreth, Htstory of the Uniied states. 

William H. Prescott, History of the Conquest of Mexico. 

John Lothrop Motley, The Rise of the Butch Republic. 



ENGLISH LITERATURE OF AMERICA. 445 

Francis , Parkman, The Jesuits in North America 
Edgar Allen Poe, Tales. 

l£ en i de1 !* H ° lmes > T} \ e Autocrat of the Breakfast Table 
Bishop England, Essays and Discourses. 
Archbishop Hughes. Letters and Discourses. 
Archbishop Spalding, History of the Reformation. 
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Representative Men 
James Russell Lowell, Among My Books. 
Orestes A. Brownson. The American Republic. 
Samuel L. Clemens, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. 

In the SHORT DICTIONARY at the end of this book reference 
is made to other American writers of English of the nineteenth 
century. 



LAST WORDS. 

READING AND THE CHOICE OF BOOKS. 

The student who has thus far faithfully studied 
this volume has, it is to be hoped, learned something 
about the most-noted works in English literature. He 
should now begin to read the books themselves, or at 
least thi best of them. "We must confine ourselves 
to the masterpieces of great names," said one as 
wise as he was distinguished; "we have not time 
for the rest." It is very true. Let us examine 
for a moment this matter of time and reading. 
A person who reads on an average twenty-five pages 
a day would finish a volume of four hundred pages 
in sixteeen days, and in a year he would com- 
plete twenty-two such volumes. At the same rate, 
it would take him fifty years to read 1100 volumes. 
But Allibone's Critical Dictionary of English Litera- 
ture contains the names of over 46,000 British, Irish, 
and American authors, some of whom wrote twenty, 
thirty, or even forty books. It cannot be too often 
repeated, "We must confine ourselves to the master- 
pieces; we have no time for the rest." We should 
likewise write on our bookmarks and engrave in our 
minds {he sublime motto, Ad majorem Dei glori- 
am — "To the greater glory of God." 



446 LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 

"Choose an author as you would a friend.''— -Pope. < 

"Every remarkable man has been fond of letters. — Lacordaxre. 

"In the best books great men talk to us— with us— and give us 
their most precious thoughts."— Chanmng. 

"The reading of literarv masterpieces not only forms the taste, 
but it keeps the soul in elevated regions and prevents it from 
sinking down into vulgarity." — Lacordaire. 

"Reading furnishes the mind only with the materials of 
knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours. — 
Locke. , 

"The true method of study is to read little, to select good au- 
thors, and to think much." — Balmes. 

"To know one good book well is better than to know something 
about a hundred good books at second hand." — Richardson. 

"Concentration is the prime and sole element of strength. 
Learn to sound thoroughly, a few lines of an author at a time. 
Nothing can be turned to account except ivhat has been ripened 
by meditation. A large range of reading dazzles the mind, and 
may, in the case of him who has a good memory, dazzle others, 
but it gives neither solidity nor depth. Depth always supposes 
extent, but extent does not involve depth." — Lacordaire. 

"It is a great preservative to a high standard in taste and 
achievement to take every year some one great book as an espec- 
ial study, not only to be read, but to be conned, studied, brooded 
over ; to go into the country with it, travel with it, be devotedly 
faithful to it, be without any other book for the time ; compel 
yourself thus to read it again and again. Who can be dull 
enough to pass long days in the intimate, close, familiar inter- 
course with some transcendent mind, and not feel the benefit 
of it when he returns to the common world?" — Bulwer. 

"True poetry must be studied, not merely read." — Henry Reed. 

"As you close a book, ask yourself what good it has done you." 
— Henry Reed. 

"Keep your reading well proportioned in the two great di- 
visions of prose and poetry." — Henry Reed. 

"Literature is to be employed for the culture of character." — 

Henry Reed. 

"I never remember anything but what I write three times or 
read over six times at least ; and if you do the same you will 
have as good a memory." — Porson.* 

"All else may pass away, but the wisdom of well-digested 
knowledge and methodical thought remains through sunshine and 
storm, making the sunshine more beautiful and the storm less 
severe. '—Brother Azarias. 

"I advise young men to note down in writing and treasure up 
in a permanent form every piece of valuable information, classi- 
cal, scientific, and of any other character, which they might now 
pick up." — Cardinal Wiseman. 

"What is a man, 
If his chief good and market of his time 
Be but to sleep and feed? A beast, no more. 
Sure He that made us with such large discourse, 
Looking before and after, gave us not 
That capability and God-like reason 
r I o fust in us unused." — Shakespeare. 



* Porson was considered a prodigy of Greek scholarship. It is 
Bald be could repeat most of the Greek poets by heart. 



BOOKS WORTH READING. 



Bird's-eye View of Some Works Worth Keadin 

1. Poetry. 

Longfellow, Evangeline. 

Moore, Irish Melodies. 

Tennyson, Idylls of the King. 

Campbell, Lyrics. 

Scott, The Lady of the Lake. 

Burns, The Cotter's Saturday Night. 

Goldsmith, The Deserted Village. 

Pope, Essay on Criticism. 

Dry den, Alexander's Feast. 

Milton, Paradise Lost. 

2. The Drama. 

Shakespeare, Plays. 
Sheridan, Plays. 

3. History. 

McCarthy. History of Our Own Times. 

Green, Short History of the English People. 

Lossing, Field-Book of the Revolution. 

MacMaster, History of the People of the United States. 

Parkman, The Jesuits in North America. 

Walpole, Short History of Ireland. 

Sullivan, New Ireland. 

Creasy, The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World. 

Prescott, The Conquest of Mexico. 

Cobbett, History of the Reformation. 

Maine, Lectures on the Early History of Institutions. 

Adams, Manual of Historical Literature. 

4. Biography. 

Morley. Life of Burke. 

Trevelyan, Life and Letters of Lord Macaulay. 

Griffin, Life of Gerald Griffin. 

Ticknor, Life of William H. Prescott. 

Bos well, Life of Dr. Johnson. 

Fitzpatrick, Life and Times of Dr. Doyle. 

Irving, Life of Goldsmith. 

Murray, The Catholic Pioneers of America. 

5. Autobiography. 

Franklin, Autobiography. 
Cardinal Newman, Apologia. 

6. Fiction. 

Cooper, The Spy. 

Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter. 

Griffin, The Collegians. 

Carleton, The Poor Scholar. 

Wiseman, Fabiola. 

Dickens, David Copperfteld. 

Thackeray, The Newcomes. 



US LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



Lever, Charles O'Malley. 
Scott, Waverley. 

Goldsmith, The Vicar of Wakefield. 
Defoe, Robinson Crusoe. 

7. Sketches and Essays. 

Irving, The Sketch-Book. 
Bacon, Essays. 
Addison, Essays. 

8. Speeches. 

Burke. Speeches. 
Grattan, Speeches. 
. Webster, Speeches. 

9. Lectures and Sermons. 

Reed, Lectures on English Literature. 

Giles, Lectures and Essays. 

Thomas N. Burke, O. P., Lectures and Sermons. 

10. Travels. 

Dana, Two Years Before the Mast. 
Kinglake. Ebthen. 

Vetromile, Travels in Europe and the Holy Land. 

11. Philosophy. 

Father Hill, S. J.., Moral Philosophy. 
Father Harper, S. J.. The Metaphysics of the Schools. 
Edmund Burke, Reflections on the French Rerolution. 
Brother Azarias, Essay on a Philosophy of Literature. 
Herbert Spencer, The Philosophy of Style. 

12. Popular Science. 

St. George Mivart, Lessons from Nature. 
C. F. Devas, The Groundwork of Economics. 
Cardinal Wiseman, The Connection Between Science and Re- 
vealed Religion. 

Father Ronayne, S. J., Religion and Science. 

13. Miscellaneous. 

Cibbons, The Faith of Our Fathers. 
Lambert, Notes on Ingersoll. 
Boudreaux, The Happiness of Heaven. 
Washington, Farewell Address. 
Brown son, The American Republic. 

KPThose who wish to add to their mental wealth 
by the thorough study of a few great authors cannot 
do bettor than to devote their best hours to the earnest 



BOOKS WORTH READING. 



449 



reading of the New Testament, Shakespeare, Edmund 
Burke, and Cardinal Newman, 

The tine student, however, will "never forget that 
good literature is not an insular affair, bounded by 
the limits of one country or by the letters of one lan- 
guage." Familiarity with many languages is no 
longer necessary as a key to open the masterpieces of 
other times and other countries. We have many ex- 
cellent translations. "A knowledge of ancient litera- 
ture," says Henry Reed, "gives us a deeper insight 
into the modern." 



Bird's-eye View of Some of the Ancient and 
Modern Classics. 

1. Greek. — Homer. The Iliad;* Thucydides, History of the 
Peloponnesian War; Demosthenes, Speeches; Plutarch, Lives of 
Celebrated Greeks and Romans. 

2. Latin. — Virgil. The sEneid;* Tacitus, Annals and Histor- 
ies; Cicero, Orations; A Kempis, The Imitation of Christ. t 

3. French. — Lacordaire, Letters to Young Men; Souvestre, 
The Attic Philosopher : De Tocqueville, Democracy in America; 
Montalembert, The Monks of the West; Chateaubriand, The 
Genius of Christianity ; St. Pierre, Paul and Virginia; Fenelon, 
Telemachus ; Bossuet. Universal History; St. Francis de Sales, 
Introduction to a Devout Life. 

4. German. — F. Schlegel, The Philosophy of History^ and Lec- 
tures on the History of Literature ; Moeller, Symbolism; A. Hum- 
boldt, The Cosmos; Schiller, Poems; Fouque, Undine. 

5. Spanish. — Balmez, European Civilization ;\\ Donoso Cortes, 
Essays; Calderon,Tl Dramas; Cervantes, Don Quixote., 

6. Italian. — Pellico. My Prisons and The Duties of Young 
Men; Manzoni. The Betrothed ; Tasso, Jerusalem Delivered; 
Dante, The Divine Comedy, 



* The poet Pope's translation is, on the whole, the best for the 
general reader. , 

t There are various popular editions of the poet Dryden s 
translation. , , 

t Bishop Challoner's translation is, perhaps, the best. 

§ Robertson's translation is good and faithful. 

|[ His Criterion and Fundamental Philosophy should be care- 
fully read. . ,, _ 

1f D. F. MacCarthy's translation is unrivalled. 



INDEX. 



The numbers refer to pages. Footnotes as well as 
text are included. 



A Fair Saxon, 410. 
A Nation Once Again, 394. 
A Place in Thy Memory, Dear- 
est, 389. 
Abelard, 69. 

Abridgment of English His- 
tory, 53. 

Absalom and Achitophel, 192, 
195, 197, 347. 

Academical Degrees, 69. 

Academy, The, 294. 

Acadie, or Acadia, 427. 

Account of the Greatest Eng- 
lish Poets, 209. 

Ad Montes, 274. 

Adam Bede, 279. 

Adamnan, St., 331, 332. 

Adams, John, 415. 

Addison, Joseph, 180, 198, 
201, 209-210, 224, 230, 231, 
351. 

Adonais, 3, 257. 
Adrian, St., 31, 42. 
Advancement of Learning, 178, 
180. 

Adventures of Henry Rich- 
mond, 281. 
Advice to Princes, 300. 
Aelfric, 33, 53-54, 58. 
Aeneas, 72, 82. 
Aeneid, 5. 

Aeneid, translated by Brady, 
347. 

Aeneid, translated by Douglas, 
134. 

Aeneid, translated by Dryden, 
196. 

Aeneid (part), translated by 
Howard, 138, 139. 



Aeneid (part), translated by 

Stanyhurst, 346. 
Aesc, 56. 
Agatha, 280. 
Age of Chaucer, 87-107. 
"Ages of Faith," 85. 
Agincourt, Battle of, 108. 
Aidan, St., 30, 303. 
Aids to Reflection, 245, 246. 
Akenside, Mark, 231. 
Al Aaraaf, 429. 
Alastor, 256. 
Alba, 299. 

Albertus Magnus, 69. 
Alchemist, The, 175. 
Alciphron, 355, 356, 366. 
Alcuin, 33, 49-50, 58. 
Aldhelm, St., 32, 42-43, 58, 
303. 

Alexander Selkirk, 229. 
Alexander the Great, 406. 
Alexander's Feast, 3, 192, 195. 
Alfred, Prince, 304, 335. 
Alfred the Great, 14, 27, 

33, 43, 51-53, 55, 58, 61, 

127, 142, 304, 306. 
Alison, Archibald, 243. 
All for Jesus, 274, 275, 296, 

297. 

All for Love, 4, 193. 
Allen, Cardinal, 142, 217. 
Allies, Thomas W., 235. 
Altercation or Scolding of the 

Ancients, 209. 
Altus, 325. 

Amazing Marriage, 281. 



452 



IJS T DEX. 



Amelia, by Fielding, 213. 
Amelia, by Patmore, 292, 293. 
America discovered, 114. 
American Catholic Quarterly 

Review, 423. 
American Republic, 442, 445. 
American Taxation, 359. 
Among My Books, 440, 441, 

445. 

Amoretti, 144, 148. 
Amory, Thomas,, 366. 
"Ancient and Modern" Quar- 
rel, 352. 

Ancient Irish Biography, 331- 

332. 

Ancren Riwle, 71, 73, 86. 

Andrea del Sarto, 266. 

Andrew of Wyntoun, 125. 

Angel in the House, 292, 297. 

Angel's Whisper, 2, 400, 412. 

Angles, 13, 14, 26, 57. 

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, 53, 55- 
57, 58, 71, 86. 

Anglo-Saxon Ladies, 32. 

Anglo-Saxon Language, 13, 14, 
15, 16, 17, 25, 71. 

Anglo-Saxon Period of Litera- 
ture, 26-58. 

Anglo-Saxon Poems, by Aid- 
helm, 42, 43. 

Anglo-Saxon Versification, 38- 
39, 106. 

Anglo-Saxons, 31, 65, 301. 
Annabel Lee, 429. 
Annals of Innisfallen, 328, 329. 
Annals of Loch Ce, 328, 329. 
Annals of the Four Masters, 

29 308. 309, 314, 319, 324, 

326, 328, 330, 337. 

Annals of the Four Masters, 

Qo a n ns i& ed « b ^ O'Donovan, 
320, 330, 376, 397, 398, 399 
412. 

AnnaU of Tighernach, 328. 
Annals of Ulster, 328, 329. 
Anno Bnloyn, 127. 
A mm Mirnbilis, 192. 
Anselm, St., 65,66, 85. 
An (hem of Earth, 294, 



Anti-Irish Writers, 377-379. 
Antiquities of the Anglo-Saxon 

Church, 268, 269. 
Antony and Cleopatra, 170. 
Apologia pro Vita Sua, 235, 

241, 286, 287, 296, 297. 
Arbuthnot, John, 201, 209, 

210, 211, 231. 
Arcades, 91. 
Arcadia, 155, 156. 
Ard-ri, 300, 315, 336. 
Areopagitica, 181, 183. 
Ariosto, 91. 

Armagh, 302, 304, 317. 
Armgart, 280. 

Arnold, Matthew, 285-286, 
295, 297, 320, 337, 377, 399. 

Art of Political Lying, 209. 

Arthur Mervyn, 420. 

Arthur and the Knights of the 
Round Table, 82, 83, 120. 

Aryan Language, 321, 322, 
324. 

Ascham, Roger, 155-156, 159. 
Asolando, 265, 266. 
Asser, 52. 
Astrolabe, 98. 
Astrophel, 144, 148. 
Astrophel and Stella, 155, 156- 
157. 

As You Like It, 170. 
Atalanta in Calydon, 291. 
Athenwum, The, 243, 294, 

399, 423. 
Atlantic Monthly, 423, 441. 
Atlantis, 290. 

Augustine, St., of Canterbury, 
29, 30, 57, 301, 383. 

Augustine, St., of Hippo, 43, 
52. 

Auld Lang Syne, 228. 
Aurora Leigh, 267, 268. 
Austen, Jane, 260, 280, 297. 
Authorized Version of the 
Bible, 162. 

Autobiography, defined, 7. 
Autobiography, by Franklin, 
7, 417, 418, 421, 



INDEX. 



453 



Autobiography, by Gibbon, 

220, 222. 
Autobiography, by Trollope, 7. 
Autocrat of the Breakfast 

Table, 433, 445. 
Autos of Calderon, translated, 

405. 

Ayenbite of Imvit, 73, 75, 86. 

Bacon, Lord, 6, 153, 167, 168, 

178-180, 197, 247, 385. 
Bacon Roger, 79, 80, 84, 86. 
Bagehot, Walter, 243. 
Balaustion's Adventure, 265. 
Balder Dead, 285. 
Bale, John, 160. 
Ballad, defined, 3. 
Ballad of Sister Helen, 289. 
Ballads, 111, 112, 124. 
Ballads, by Tennyson, 261. 
Ballads and Poems of Tragic 

Life, 282. 
Ballads and Sonnets, by Ros- 

setti, 288, 289, 297. 
Baltimore, Derivation of, 315. 
Baltimore, Lord, 413. 
Bancroft, George, 434-435, 

444. 

Bangor, in Ireland, 302, 305. 
Bangor, in Wales, 32, 58. 
Banim, John, 388, 389-390, 

411, 412. 
Banim, Michael, 389. 
Banks o' Doon, 227. 
Bannockburn, Battle of, 59, 62, 

103, 104. 
Bannockburn, by Burns, 227. 
Banshee^ The, 380. 
Barbara Frietchie, 432. 
Barbour, John, 102-104, 107. 
Barclay, Alexander, 160. 
Barclay, John, 197. 
Bards, Irish, 300, 301, 316, 

318, 324-328, 336. 
Barebones' Parliament, 164. 
Barnes, Barnabe, 160. 
Barnfield, Richard, 160. 
Barrier Treaty, 353. 
Barry, Gerald. See Giraldus 

Cambrensis. 



Battle of the Baltic, 255. 
Battle of the Books, 351, 352. 
Baxter, Richard, 197. 
Bay Psalm Book, 416. 
Beattie, James, 231. 
Beauchamp's Career, 281. 
Beaumont, Francis, 197. 
Beaux' Stratagem, 348. 
Becket, 264. 

Beckford, William, 231. 
Bede, The Venerable, 32, 33, 

43, 46-49, 50, 52, 56, 58, 

127, 129, 142. 
Beggar's Opera, 5. 
Bellenden, John, 160. 
Bell Founder, 404. 
Bells, The, 429. 
Bells and Pomegranates, 265. 
Benburb, Battle of, 396. 
Benedict of Peterborough, 

79. 

Bentham, Jeremy, 231. 
Beowulf (the poem), 36-39. 
Beowulf (the hero), 37, 38. 
Berkeley, George, 231, 348, 

349, 355-356, 365, 366. 
Berners, Dame Juliana, 125. 
Berners, Lord, 160. 
Bertha in the Lane, 268. 
Berthwald, 56. 
Bevis of Hampton, 77. 
Bible in Irish, 375. 

BlCKERSTAFFE, ISAAC, 366. 

Biglow Papers, 440, 441. 
Biographia Literaria, 245, 246, 
297. 

Biographies, by McCarthy. 

409, 410. 
Biography, defined, 7. 
Black Prince, 87, 88, 89. 
Black Prophet, The, 401. 
Blackstone, Sir William, 

231. 

Blackwood's Magazine, 242, 
406. 

Blake, William, 231, 292. 
Blank verse, defined, 2. 
Blank verse, introduced, 139, 
158. 



454 



INDEX. 



Bleak House, 277. 
Blessed Damozel, 288, 289. 
Blessed Sacrament, 274. 
Blind Harry, 125. 
Bobbio, 303. 
Boccaccio, 90, 95, 97. 
Bodleian Library, 41. 
Boece, Hector, 160. 
Boethius, 52, 98. 
Bolingbroke, Viscount, 231. 
Boniface, St., 32. 
Book of Armagh, 332, 333. 
Book of Ballymote, 320, 332. 
333. 

Book of Genealogies. See 
Book of Pedigrees. 

Book of Kells, 321. 
Book of Lecan, 320. 
Book of Leinster, 320, 332. 
Book of Lismore, 374. 
Book of Pedigrees, 319, 328, 
329. 

Book of the Dun Coiv, 320, 

332, 337. 
Boorde, Andrew, 160. 
Borderers, The, 243. 
Bossuet, 442. 

Boston News-Letter, 423. 
Boswell, James, 7, 225, 230, 
231. 

Botanic Garden, 354. 
Bothwell, 291. 
Boucicault, Dion, 5, 388. 
Bowdoin College, 426, 427. 
Bower, Walter, 125. 
Boyne, Battle of the, 166. 
Bo line Walter, 390, 412. 
Bkadstreet, Anne, 416. 
Brady, Nicholas, 346, 347. 
Break, Break, Break, 263. 
Brehon Laws, 300, 320, 397, 
398. 

Brehons, 300, 301, 316, 336. 
Bbbton, Nicholas, 160. 
Brotwalda, 27. 

Brewster, Sir David, 243. 



Brian Bom, 305, 311, 326, 

335, 381. 
Bridal of the Year, 404. 
Brigid, St., 216, 309. 
Brigs of Ayr, 226. 
Bristow, Richard, 217. 
British Museum, 36, 292, 321. 
Britons, 26, 27. 
Bronte, Charlotte, 260. 
Brooke, Arthur, 160. 
Brooke, Henry, 348, 349, 

353, 354-355, 366. 
"Brother Joseph," 388. 
Brown, Charles Brockden, 

419, 420. 421. 
Browne, Sir Thomas, 197. 
Browne, William, 197. 
Browning, Elizabeth Bar- 
rett, 3, 242, 265, 267-268. 

289, 295, 297. 
Browning, Robert, 2, 232, 

242, 264-266, 267, 281, 295, 

297. 

Brownson, Orestes A., 6, 
276, 441-442, 444, 445. 

Brownson' s Quarterly Review, 
441-442. 

Bruce, Robert, King, 62, 103. 

Bruce, The, 102-104, 107. 

Bruce, The, Editions of, 104. 

Brut, 71, 72, 73, 86. 

Brutus of England, by Wace, 
78. 

Brutus of Troy, 73, 74, 82 

Bryant, William Cullen, 
431-432, 433, 444. 

Buchanan, George, 160. 

Buckle, Henry Thomas, 240. 

Buik of Alexander, 104. 

Bunker Hill, Battle of, 414. 

Bunker Hill Monument Dis- 
course, 430. 

Bunyan, John, 135, 197. 

Burke, Edmund, 1, 338, 340, 
348, 349, 358-360, 365, 366, 
376, 377, 385. 

Burke, Thomas, N., 4, 371, 
378, 396, 402, 403-404, 412. 

Burletta, denned, 5. 

Burning Babe, The, 143, 



INDEX. 



455 



Burns, Robert, 201, 204, 226- 

228, 230, 247. 
Burton, Robert, 197. 
Bute, Marquis of, 235. 
Butler, Alban, 142, 201, 215, 

216, 230, 231. 
Butler, Joseph, 231. 
Butler, Samuel (1612-1680), 

167, 188-190, 197, 378, 420. 
Butler, Samuel (1825-1902), 

153. 

Byles, Mather, 417. 
Byron, Lord, 232, 239, 242, 
249, 251-253, 295, 297, 364. 

Cadwalader, 72, 82. 
Cedmon, 32, 39-42, 43, 58, 
184. 

Cahill, D. W., 378. 
Calamities of Authors, 348. 
Calderon, 405. 
Caledonia, 28, 299. 
Calendar, corrected, 200. 
Calhoun, J. C, 393. 
Callista, 286, 287. 
Cambrensis E versus, 328, 329. 
330. 

Cambridge University, 30, 68, 
70, 86, 162, 181. 193, 217. 
241, 244, 246, 251, 269, 277, 
353. 

Camden, William, 160, 303. 
Camoens, 245. 
Campaign, The, 209. 
Campbell, Thomas, 2, 242. 

253-256, 295, 297. 
Canada ceded to England, 200, 

229. 

Canones Aelfrici, 54. 
Canterbury Tales, 3. 90, 91. 

92, 94-96, 107, 150, 427. 
Capgraye, John, 105, 125. 
Captain Bobadil, 175. 
Captain Costigan, 379. 
Carew, Richard, 160. 
Carleton, William, 342, 374, 

400-401. 402, 411, 412. 
Carlow College, 384, 395. 
Carlyle, Thomas, 232, 240, 

243, 282-284, 296, 297, 378, 

379. 



Casa Guidi Windoics, 267. 

Case endings, 17. 

Case of Ireland Stated, 347, 
348. 

Cask of Amontillado, 429. 
Castle of Otranto, 7. 
Catarina to Camoens, 267. 
Cathedral, The, 441. 
Cathedral Schools, 67. 
Catherine of Aragon, 127, 128. 

Catholic Christian Instructed, 

215, 216. 
Catholic Journalism in U. S., 

Foundation of, 438, 444. 
Catholic Emancipation,233, 239, 

294, 295, 349, 368, 373, 391, 

392, 410, 411. 
Catholic University of Ireland, 

286, 375, 397, 404. 
Catholic World, 423, 442. 
Catiline, 175. 
Cato, 209, 210. 

Cattle Spoil of Cooley, 332, 

334. 
Cavaliers, 163. 
Cavendish, George, 160. 
Caxton, William, 107, 111, 

119, 122-124, 125. 
Celtic Language, 12, 13, 27, 28, 

315, 322. 
Celtic Romance, 377. 
Celt's Paradise, 388, 390. 
Celts, 12, 13, 26, 31, 322, 335, 

377. 

Cenci, The, 257. 
Centlivre, Susannah, 366. 
Century Dictionary, 18. 
Century Magazine, 423. 
Challoner, Richard, 201 

215, 216, 217, 230, 231. 
Chambered Nautilus, 433. 
ChamberlayniT, William, 197. 
Chambers' s Cyclopaedia of 

English Literature, 45, 257, 

264, 296. 
Chapman, George. 197, 259, 

292, 347. 
C&arlemagne, 50, 65, 



456 



INDEX. 



Charles O'Malley, 401, 412. 
Characteristics of Newman, 

286. 
Charms, 34. 
Chastelard, 291. 
Chatterton, Thomas, 231. 
Chaucer, Geoffrey, 3, 62, 

71, 87, 89. 90, 92-99, 102, 

103, 104, 106. 107, 111, 117, 

118, 129, 138, 144. 
Cherry, Andrew, 366. 
Chesterfield, Lord. 340. 
Chettle, Henry, 160. 
Chevy Chase, 112, 115. 
Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, 

251, 252, 297. 
Chillianwallah, 282. 
Christalel, 245, 246, 247. 
Christianity Not Mysterious, 

348. 

Christ's Hospital, 246. 

Chronica Major a, 81, 82. 

Chronicle, by Bek, 73, 74, 86. 

Chronicle, by Mannyng, 73, 
74, 75, 86. 

Chronicle, by Robert of Glou- 
cester, 73, 74, 86. 

Chronicles, by Holinshed, 346. 

Chronicon Tripartitum, 101. 

Chronicum Scotorum (Chroni- 
cle of the Irish), 319, 328, 
329. 

Church and the Gentile World, 

by Thebaud, 217. 
Church, The, and Learning, 67. 
Churchill, Charles, 231. 
Cicero, 31. 

Cinkante Balades, 101. 
City in the Sea, 429. 
Civil War, 422. 
Clara Howard, 420. 
Clarendon, Earl of, 167, 190- 

102, 107. 
Clarissa, 213, 214, 215, 231. 
Clay, Henry, 393. 
Cleanness, 73, 77, 86. 
Clemens. Samuel Langhorne, 

142-443, 444, 445. 

Clonard, 302. 
Clonfert, 302, 317/ 



Clonmacnoise, 302, 317, 328, 
337 

Clontarf. Battle of, 306, 317, 

329, 335. 
Cloud, The, 257. 
Cloud's Swan-Song, 294. 
Clough Fionn, 389. 
Cobbett, William, 127, 241, 

243. 

Coffey, Charles, 366. 
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor, 1, 

113, 232, 240, 242, 245-247, 
256, 257, 259, 295, 297. 

Colgan, John, 319, 331, 332, 
346. 

Colleen Bawn, 5, 388. 
Collegians, The, 388, 412. 
Collier, Jeremy, 197. 
Collins, William, 231. 
Colloquium, 54. 

Coleman, George, The Elder, 
231. 

Coleman, George, The Youn- 
ger, 231. 

Colomoe's Birthday, 266. 

Colonel Newcome, 279. 

Colonel Sellers, 443. 

Columba. See Columbkille. 

Columbanus, St., 303. 

Columbkille. St.. 28. 29, 57, 
216, 224, 302. 303. 308, 309, 
311, 321, 324, 325, 331, 332, 
337, 381. 

Columbus, Christopher, 102, 

114, 127, 413, 424, 434. 
Columcille. See Columbkille. 
Comedies, by Fielding, 213. 
Comedies, by Steele, 350, 351. 
Comedy, defined, 4. 
Commentaries on the Eoistles 

of St. Paul, 65. 
Complaint of Deor, 34, 35. 
Complaints, 144, 148. 
Compleat Angler, 190, 192, 

197. 

Composition of the English 

Language, 18-24. 
Comus, 83, 181, 182. 
Con Am ore, 410. 
Con O'Donnell, 405. 



INDEX. 



457 



Conary, 407. 

Conary the Great, 300. 

Concerning the Old and New 

Testament, 54. 
Conciliation with America, 359. 
Conduct of Life, 440. 
Conduct of the Allies, 353. 
Confessio Amantis, 99-100. 
Confession of St. Patrick, 331, 

333. 

Confession of St. Patrick, 

translated, 407. 
Confessions of an Opium Eater, 

2G0, 261, 297. 
Congal, 406, 407, 412. 
Congreye, William, 197. 
Conn of the Hundred Battles, 

300. 

Conquest of Granada (by Dry- 
den), 193. 

Conquest of Granada (by Irv- 
ing), 423, 424. 

Conquest of Mexico, 7, 435, 
436, 444. 

Conquest of Peru, 435, 436. 

Conscious Lovers, 351. 

Consistency of Freedom with 
the Divine Foreknowledge, 
66. 

Conspiracy of Pontiac, 435, 436. 

Constable, Henry, 160. 

Constantinople, Fall of. 114. 

Constitution of the United 
States, 415, 420, 442. 

Constitutional History of Eng- 
land, 268, 271. 

Contemporary Review, 243. 

Convert, The, 442. 

Cooper, James Feni more, 425- 
426, 443, 444. 

Cooper's Hill, 347. 

Coriolanus, 170. 

Cormac MacArt, 300, 301, 319, 
324, 335. 

Cormac MacCullinan, 320. 

Cornhill Magazine, 243. 

Corporal Trim, 354. 

Cortes, 436. 

Cotter's Saturday Night, 226- 
227. 

Cottonian Library, 36. 
Council of Constance, 105. 



Council of Trent, 90. 
Council of Vienne, 70. 
Couplet, defined, 2. 
Coyerdale, Miles, 160. 
Cowley, Abraham, 197, 223. 
Cowper, William, 201, 204 

226, 228-229, 230. 
Cowper' 's Grave, 268. 
Craik, George Lillie, 295. 
Crashaw, Richard, 197. 
Creator and Creature, 274. 
Crecy, Battle of, 59, 87, 88. 
Crimean War, 235. 
Crist a 44. 

Critic, The, 361, 362. 
Critical and Historical Essays, 

268, 270. 
Crohoore of the Bill-Hook, 389. 
Croker, Thomas Crofton, 

263. 

Cromwell, Oliver. 163, 164, 

196, 283, 284, 313, 378. 
Croppy, The, 389. 
Crusades, 59, 62-65, 68, 85. 
Cry of the Children, 268. 
Cudworth, Ralph, 197. 
Cuilmenn, 319. 
Culloden, Battle of, 200. 
Culture and Anarchy, 285. 
Cunningham, John, 366. 
Cup, The, 264. 

Cura Pastoralis, translated by 

Alfred. 52. 
Curfew, 60. 

Curran, John Philpot, 348. 
349, 350, 362, 363, 364, 366. 
392. 

Curran, W. H., 392. 
Curse of Kehama, 247, 248, 
297. 

Cuthbert, St., 303. 
Cycles of Romance, 76-77. 
Cymbeline, 83. 

Cymbeline, by Shakespeare, 83. 
Cyprian, St., 287. 
Cynewulf, 32-33, 44-45, 58. 

Daily News, 243. 
Daily Telegraph, 243. 
Daisy, 294* 



458 



INDEX. 



Dalgairns, John Dobree, 235, 
243. 

Damon and Pythias, 388, 390. 

Dampier, William, 6, 

Dance of the Sevin Deidly 

Synnis, 136, 137, 159. 
Dan Michel of Northgate, 

73, 75, 86. 
Danes, 14, 27, 29, 32, 37, 51, 

54, 56, 305, 306, 317, 335, 

336, 373. 
Daniel Deronda, 279, 280. 
Daniel, Samuel, 160. 
Dante, 90, 91, 97, 172, 187, 

245, 250, 428. 
Dante and His Circle, 288, 

289. 
Danton, 283. 

D'Arblay, Madame (Fanny 

BURNEY), 231. , 

"Dark Ages," 85. 
Dark Rosaleen, 395, 412. 
Dartmouth College, 430. 
Darwin, Charles Robert, 

240, 243. 
Darwin, Erasmus, 354. 
D'Ayenant, Sir William, 

197. 

David Copperfield, 6, 277, 278, 
296, 297. 

Dayis, John, 160. 

Dayis, Thomas Osborne, 314, 
315, 340, 364, "373, 374, 377, 
393-394, 395, 396, 411, 412. 

Day of Doom, 416. 

De Consolatione Philosophic, 

52. 98. 
Dc Excidio Britannia?, 33. 
De Gestis Regum Anglorum, 

80, 81. 

De Laude Virginitatis, 32, 43. 
De Profundis, 268. 
Dead^Cardinal of ^Ycstminster, 

Dear Lady Disdain, 410. 
Death of Arthur, 122. 
Death of ^Y all en stein, 246. 
Decameron, 90. 

Declaration of Independence, 
201, 365, 4 15, 418, 419, 421. 

Decline mid Fall of the Roman 
Empires 220-222, 231. 



Defence of Guenevere, 290. 
Defence of Poesie, 155, 156, 
159. 

Defence of the Seven Sacra- 
ments,, 126. 

"Defender of the Faith," 126. 

Defoe, Daniel, 201, 202, 203, 
211-212, 230, 231, 378. 

Deirdre, 407. 

Dejection, an Ode, 246. 

Dekker, Thomas, 177. 

De Lorgues, Count, 424. 

De Maupassant, Guy, 430. 

Democracy and Liberty, 408. 

Demosthenes, 31, 114, 225,251. 

Denham, Sir John, 347. 

De Quincey, Thomas, 260, 
261, 297, 378. 

Dermody, Thomas, 366. 

Dermot MacMurrough, 307, 
308. 

Derry, 302. 

Descent into Hell, 44. 
Descent into the Mwlstrom, 
429. 

Descriptive Sketches, 243. 
Deserted Village, 349, 357. 
Destruction of Troy, 77. 
Detective Stories, by Poe, 429. 
Dethe of Blaunche the Duch- 

esse, 92, 97. 
Dettingen, Battle of, 199. 
De Vere, Aubrey, 404, 405- 

406, 412. 
De Vere, Sir Aubrey, 405. 
De Vere, Edward, Earl of 

Oxford, 160. 
Devereux, Penelope, 157. 
Dialogues Concerning Natural 

Religion, 217. 
Dialogues on Medals, 209. 
Diana of the Crossways, 281. 
Dickens, Charles, 6. 7, 232, 

242, 250, 277, 278-279, 280. 

296, 297. 
Dictes and Sayengis of the 

Philosophres, 123. 
Dictionaries, 223. 



INDEX. 



459 



Dictionary of the English Lan- 
guage, by Johnson, 18, 222, 
223, 225, 230. 

Didactic Poetry, defined, 3. 

Diedrich Knickerbocker, 424. 

Digby, Kenelm EL, 235. 

Dillon, John Blake, 373. 

Dillon,, Wentworth. See 
Roscommon, Earl of. 

Discourses in America, 285. 

Disestablishment of the Irish 
Church, 371-372, 410. 

D'IsraelIj Isaac, 348. 

DlVINA CO MM ED I A, 90. 

Divine Comedy, translated by 

Longfellow, 428. 
Doctrines and Practices of the 

Church, 274. 

DODD, CHARLES, 231. 

Dolf Heyliger, 424. 
Don Juan, 251, 252. 
Don Sebastian, 193. 
Donatus, St., 303, 325, 337. 
Donna Quixote, 410. 
Donne, John, 197. 
Dora, 263. 
Douay Bible, 217. 
Douglas, Gavin, 134-135, 158, 
159. 

Dover Beach, 286. 
Do-wel, Do-bet, and Do-best, 
106. 

Doyle, James, 7, 239, 340, 

368, 373, 379, 383, 384-385, 

403, 411, 412. 
Drama, defined, 3-4. 
Dramas, by Browning, 264, 

265, 266. 
Dramas, by Byron, 251, 252. 
Dramas, by Coleridge, 245, 

246. 

Dramas, by Keats, 258, 259. 
Dramas, by Lover, 399. 
Dramas, by Shelley, 256, 257. 
Dramas, by Swinburne, 291. 
Dramas, by Tennyson, 261, 
264. 

Dramas of Calderon, trans- 
lated, 405. 
Dramatic Idylls, 265. 
Dramatic Lyrics, 265. 



Dramatis Persona?, 265. 
Drapier Letters, 351, 352. 
Drayton, Michael, 160. 
Dream of Gerontius, 286. 
Dream of John Bull, 290. 
Dream of the Rood, 44, 45. 
Dream Tryst, 293. 
Drennan, William, 348, 350, 

366. 
Druids, 300. 
Drummer, The, 209. 
Drummond, William, 197. 
Dryden, John, 3, 4, 161, 167, 

168, 173, 187, 192-196, 197, 

224. 

Dublin News Letter, 374. 
Dublin Penny Journal, 374. 
Dublin Review, 242, 275, 294, 

390, 396. 
Dublin University Magazine, 

406. 

Duenna, The, 5. 

Duffy, Sir Charles Gavan, 

306, 309, 311, 345, 373, 374, 

396, 411. 
Duke of Monmouth, 388. 
Dunbar, William, 125, 136- 

137, 158, 159, 204. 
Dunciad, The, 205, 207. 
Durrow, 302. 
Dyer, Sir Edward, 160. 
Dyer, John, 3. 
Dying Owl, The, 395, 396, 

412. 

Eadmer, 79. 

Earl of Essex, 353, 354. 

Earle, John, 197. 

Early English Period, 16, 24, 
71, 73-78. 

Early English Spelling, 17-18. 

Early Italian Poets, 288, 289. 

Early Transition Age, 71-73. 

Earthly Paradise, 290, 297. 

Ecclesiastical Historu of Ire- 
land, 383, 384, 412. 

Ecclesiastical History of the 
English Nation, 47-48, 52, 
56, 58. 

Eclogue, defined, 146. 

Edgar Huntley, 420. 



30 



460 



INDEX. 



Edinburgh Review, 242, 270, 

272, 273, 423. 
Education in England, 237. 
Edward II. , by Marlowe, 4, 

140, 141, 159. 
Edwards, Jonathan, 417, 421. 
Egoist, The, 281, 297. 
Eileen Aroon, 389. 
Elegies of Ovid, translated by 

Marlowe, 140, 142. 
Elegy, defined, 3. 
Elegy on the Death of Thomas 

Davis, 407. 
Elegy Written in a Country 

Churchyard, 3. 
Elements of Logic, by Whate- 

ly, 241. 
Elene, 44, 45. 
"Elia," 261. 

Eliot, George, 232, 240, 279- 

280, 296, 297. 
Eliot, John, 416. 
Elsie Tenner, 433. 
Elyot, Sir Thomas, 160. 
Emerald Isle, 350. 
Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 440, 

444, 445. 
Emerson's influence, 440, 444. 
Emma, 260. 

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 247, 

259, 289, 292. 
Endymion, 258, 259, 297. 
England, John, 438, 444, 445. 
English College at Douay, 

founded, 142. 
English Drama, Rise of, 131- 

133, 158. 
English Humorists, 277. 
English in Law-Courts and 

Schools, 88, 106. 
English Literature of America, 

413-445. 

English Literature of Ireland. 

338-412. 
English Mail Coach, 261. 
English Misrule and Irish 

Mis deeds, 406. 
English Traits, 440. 
Epic Poem, defined, 5, 
Epicoene, 175, 



Epicurean, The, 385, 387, 412. 

Epistle to Coroticcus, trans- 
lated, 407. 

Epistles and Poems, by Alcuin, 
49. 

Epithalamion, 144, 148. 
Erechtheus, 291. 
Erewhon, 153. 
Erin, 299, 381. 
Erin, by Drennan, 350. 
Esmond, 7, 277. 
Essay, defined, 6. 
Essay of Dramatic Poesy, 192, 
195. 

Essay on Criticism, 3, 205, 
206. 

Essay on Man, 205, 206, 207, 
230. 

Essay on Shelley, 293, 294. 
Essay on Translated Terse, 6, 
347. 

Essays, by Addison, 209, 231. 
Essays, bv Bacon, 6, 168, 178, 

179, 197. 
Essays, by Carlylc, 282. 
Essays, by Davis, 393, 394, 

412. 

Essays, by De Quincey, 261. 
Essays, by Emerson, 440. 
Essays, by Franklin, 417, 418. 
Essays, by George Eliot, 279, 
280. 

Essays, by Goldsmith, 356, 
358. 

Essays, by Jeffrey, 272, 273, 
297. 

Essays, by McCarthy, 409, 
410. 

Essays, by Macaulay, 6, 268. 

270, 297. 
Essays, by Patmore, 293. 
Essays, by Sydney Smith, 272, 

297. 

Essays, by Steele, 350, 351, 
366. 

Essays, by Thompson, 294. 
Essays, by Wiseman, 274. 
Essays, Chiefly Literary and 

Ethical, 406. 
J57s|a|s, Chiefly on Poetry, 



INDEX. 



461 



Essays and Discourses, bv 

England, 438, 445. 
Essays and Reviews, by 

Brownson, 6, 442. 
Essays in Criticism, 285, 295, 

297. 

Essays, Moral and Philosophi- 
cal, 217. 218. 

Essays of Elia, 260, 261, 297. 

Etherege, Sir George,, 197. 

Eton College, founded, 113. 

Eulogy on Adams and Jeffer- 
son, 430. 

European Morals, 408, 409, 
412. 

Eusden, Laurence., 347. 
Evangeline, 1, 427. 428, 444. 
Evans, Mary Ann, 279. 
Eve of St. Agnes, 258. 
Eve of St. Mark, 258. 
Evelyn j John, 197. 
Evening Post, 432. 
Everett, Edward. 6, 431, 444. 
Event Man in His Humour, 

174. 175. 197. 
Evictions. 369-371. 
Evidences of Catholicity, 439. 
Eyin, St., 331. 
Excelsior, 428. 
Excursion, 243, 244, 297. 
Exeter Book, 45. 
Exile of Erin, 255. 

Faber, Frederick William, 
235. 240, 243. 274-275. 296. 
297. 

Fabiola, 274, 276, 297. 
Fables, by Dryden, 192. 
Fabliaux, 91. 
Fabyan, Robert, 160. 
Faerie Queene, 91. 144, 145, 

146-148. 150, 158, 159, 252, 

378. 

Fair Hills of Ireland, 407. 
Fairy Legends, by Croker, 263. 
Falcon, The, 264. 
Fall of Robespierre, 246. 
Fall of Satan, 66. 
Fall of the House of Usher, 
429. 



Falls of Princes, 117, 118. 
Fancy, 259. 
Fantin, M., 259. 
Faraday, Michael, 243. 
Farce, defined, 5. 
Fardorougha the Miser, 401. 
Farewell Address, 419, 421. 
Farewell to Music, 327. 
Farquhar, George, 348. 
Fates of the Apostles, 44. 
Father Connell, 389. 
Faust, 5. 
Fawkes, Guy, 161. 
Federalist, The, 420, 421. 
Felix Holt, 279. 
Fenian Poems, 325. 
Ferdinand and Isabella, 435, 
436. 

Ferdinand, Count Fathom, 213. 

Ferdomnach, 333. 

Ferguson, Sir Samuel, 406- 

407, 412. 
Fergusson, Robeut, 231. 
FerishtaWs Fancies, 265. 
Feudalism, 60, 309. 
Fiacc, St., 331, 337. 
Fiction, defined, 6. 
Fielding, Henry, 201, 202, 

213, 214, 215, 230, 231, 280. 
Fifine at the Fair, 265. 
Fight at Finnsburh, 34. 
Filmer, Sir Robert, 197. 
Fingal, 325. 
Filostrato, 97. 
Finn MacCumhail, 324. 
Fireside Travels, 440. 
Fisher, John, 127, 155, 159, 

160, 383. 
Fitzgerald, Edward, 260. 
Fitz-Neale, Richard, 80. 
Fitzpatrick, John W., 7, 384, 

385, 412. 
Fleece, The, 3. 
Fletcher, Giles, 197. 
Fletcher, John, 197, 347. 
Fletcher, Phineas, 197. 
Flodden Field, Battle of, 130, 

135. 



462 



INDEX. 



Flood, Henry, 363, 408. 
Florence of Worcester, 79. 
Fontenoy, Battle of, 199, 396. 
Fontenoy, by Davis, 394. 
Fool of Quality, 353, 355, 365, 
366. 

For Archibald Hamilton Ro- 
wan, 363. 

For A> That and A> That, 227. 

For Henry Sheares, 363. 

For Lady Pamela Fitzgerald, 
363. 

For Peter Finnerty, 363. 
Ford, John, 197. 
Fordun, John, 125. 
Forest Hymn, 432. 
Forest Laws, 60. 
Foresters, The, 264. 
Forging of the Anchor, 407. 
Forsaken Merman, 285. 
Fortescue, Sir John, 125. 
Fortnightly Review, 243. 
Four Ages of Man, 416. 
Four Chief Evils of the Day, 
286. 

Four Elements, 416. 
Four Masters, 330, 346. 
Four Seasons of the Year, 416. 
Foxe, John, 160. 
Fra Lippo Lippi, 266. 
France, 247. 

Francis, Rev. Philip, 366. 
Francis, Sir Philip, 200, 
366. . 

Franklin, Benjamin, 7, 413, 

417-419, 421. 
Fraser's Magazine, 242. 
Frederick the Great, 282, 283. 
Freedom of the Will, 417, 421. 
Freeholder, The, 209. 

Freeman, Edward Augustus, 
243. 

Freeman's Journal, 374. 
French Revolution, 201, 232, 

239, 295, 343. 
French Revolution, by Carlvle 

282, 283, 296, 297; 
Freneau, Philip, 419, 420, 

421, 



Frere Lorens, 75. 
Friendship's Garland, 285. 
Froude, James Anthony, 271, 

379, 404. 
Fuller, Thomas, 111, 197. 
Fulton, Robert, 237. 

Gaelic Language. 315, 316. 

Gaelic League, 381. 

Gaelic Literature of Ireland, 

298-337. 
Gaelic Union, 381, 
Gall, St., 303. 
Gairdner, James, 243. 
Game and Plane of the Chesse, 

123. 

Gammer Gurton'8 Needle, 133. 
Garden Fancies, 266. 
Gascoigne, George, 160. 
Gay, John, 5, 231. 
Geats, 37, 38. 
Gebhard, 274. 
Genesis A., 41. 

Gentleman's Magazine, 202, 

242, 375. 
Geoffrey of JI/on mouth. 72, 

74, 78, 79, 82-83. 
George Chapman: a Critical 

Essay, 292. 
Georgia, settled, 414. 
Germ, The, 288, 292. 
German Literature, Influence 

of, 240, 284, 295. 
Gertrude of IVyoming, 253, 

254. 

Gesta Romanorum, 91, 100. 
Ghost-Hunter, The, 389. 
Gibbon, Edward, 201, 203, 

217, 218, 220-222, 230, 231, 

269. 

Gibraltar taken, 198. 
Gildas, St., 33, 58, 83. 
Gilded Age, 443. 
Giraldus Cambrensis, 80, 

330, 378. 
Gisippus, 388, 389. 
God and the Bible, 285. 
Godfrey, Thomas, 417. 
Goethe, 250. 
Glossary^ 54. 



INDEX. 



463 



Godwin, William, 231. 
Golden Legend, 427. 
Goldsmith, Oliver, 4. 5, 6, 
338, 348, 340, 356-358, 365, 

366, 376, 377. 
Good-Natured Man, 357. 
"Good People," 380. 
Gorboduc, or F err ex and Por- 

rex, 133, 149-150, 159 
Gospel of St. John, translated 

by Bede, 47. 
Gosson, Stephen, 156, 160. 
Gothic Architecture, 63-64, 85, 

114. 

Gounod, Charles Frangois, 5. 
Gower, John, 89. 91, 99-101, 

104, 106, 107, 117. 
Grammar, by Aelfric, 54. 
Grammar of Assent, 221, 286, 

287. 

Grammar of the Irish Lan- 
guage, 399. 

Grammarian's Funeral, 266. 

Grand Opera, defined, 5. 

Grattan, Henry. 6, 239. 348, 
349, 360, 362-363, 364. 366, 

367, 377, 408. 

Gray, Thomas, 3, 231. 

"Great Awakening," 417. 

Great Charter, 61, 62. 

Greek Learning and Litera- 
ture, 63. 

Green, John Richard, 243. 

295, 302. 
Green, Joseph, 417. 
Greene, Robert, 160. 
Gregory the Great, St., 29, 30, 

57. 

Grendel, 37, 38. 

Gretille, Fulke, Lord 

Brooke, 160. 
Griffin, Gerald, 2. 367, 377, 

388-389, 390, 411, 412. v 
Grimbald, 52. 
Grimm, Jacob, 398. 
Grote, George, 243. 
Guardian, The, 202. 209, 350. 
Guardian Angel, 433. 
Guest, Lady Charlotte., 263, 



Guizot, Frangois, 398. 

Gulliver's Travels, 153, 351, 

352, 366. 
Gunpowder Plot, 161. 
Gustavus Vasa, 353, 354, 355. 
Guy of Warwick, 77. 

Habington, William, 197. 

Hakluyt, Richard, 160. 

Half Century of Conflict, 435. 

Hall, Edward, 160. 

Hallam, Arthur Henry, 262, 
263. 

Hallam, Henry, 101, 112, 133 
139, 148, 173, 194, 232, 241.' 
243, 268, 271, 295, 297, 398. 

Halloween, 226. 

Hamilton, Alexander, 413, 
419-420, 421. 

Hamilton, Archbishop, 160. 

Hamilton, Sir William, 243. 

Hamlet, 4, 168, 170, 197. 

Hampton Court Conference, 
162. 

Handlyng Synne, 73, 75, 86. 
Handy Andy, 399. 
Hanging of the Crane, 428. 
Harington, Sir John, 160. 
Harold, 59. 

Harold, by Tennyson, 264. 
Harper, Thomas, 243. 
Harrington, James, 153, 197. 
Harrowing of Hell, 132. 
Harry Lorrequer, 401. 
Harvard Commemoration Ode, 
441. 

Harvard University, 427, 431, 
433, 434, 435, 436, 437, 440, 
441. 

Hastings, Battle of, 59. 
Haunted Palace, 429. 
HaveloJc the Dane, 76. 
Hawes, Stephen, 160. 
Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 425, 

426, 444. 
Hayton the Armenian, 102. 
Health and Holiness, 293, 294. 
Heardred, 38. 



464 



INDEX. 



Heber, 299. 
Hector, 72. 

Hedge-Schools, 344-345. 
Hellas, 257. 
Hengest, 56. 

Hennessy, Sir John Pope, 382. 
Henry of Huntingdon, 74, 
79. 

Henry Patrick, 419, 420, 
421. 

Henry VIII., King, 30, 43, 
125, 126, 128, 130, 139, 152, 
157. 

Henryson, Robert, 125. 
Heorot, 37. 

Heptarchy, 27, 30, 57. 
Her Portrait, 294. 
Herbert, George, 198. 
Hereford, Nicholas, 105. 
Heremon, 299. 

Hero and Leander, 140, 142. 
Heroic couplet, 98. 
Herrick, Robert, 198. 
Herve Riel, 265, 266. 
Hey wood, John, 160. 
Heywood, Thomas, 198. 
Hiawatha, 427. 
Hibernia, 299, 335. 
Hibernian Nights' Entertain- 
ments, 406, 407, 412. 
Hi-Coluim-Kille (Iona), 29. 
Highland Mary, 227. 
High Life Below Stairs, 5. 
Hilda, St., 40. 

Hildreth, Richard, 434, 444. 
Hind and the Panther, 192. 

193, 194. 
Historia Novella, 80, 81. 
Historia Region Britannia', 

72, 74, 78, 82, 83. 
Historic Fiction, 249. 
Historic Tales, 321. 
Historical Novel, defined, 7. 
Historical Romance, 249. 
ff< *33* <6 °t J(lC0 ° and Esau, 
History, defined, 7. 
History of America, 217, 219. 
History of Brazil, 247. 



History of England, by Hume, 

217, 218, 231, 378. 
History of England, by Lecky, 

408. 

History of England, by Lin- 
gard, 1, 268, 269, 295, 297. 

History of England, by Ma- 
caulay, 241, 268, 270, 297. 

History of England, by Smol- 
lett, 213. 

History of Ireland, by Keat- 
ing, 319, 328, 329. 

History of John Bull, 209, 210, 
211, 231. 

History of King Henry VII., 
178. 

History of New England, 416. 

History of Our Own Times, 
7, 381, 409, 410, 412. 

History of Scotland, 217, 219. 

History of the Church of 
Glastonbury, 81. 

History of the English Litera- 
ture and Language, 295, 296. 

History of the English People, 
295. 

History of the Four Georges, 
410. 

History of the Great Rebellion, 

190, 191-192, 197. 
History of the Life and Death 

of King Edward V., and of 

the Usurpation of Richard 

III., 133, 151, 154. 
History of the Peninsular 

War, 247. 
History of the Prelates of 

England, 81. 
History of the Reformation, 

439, 444, 445. 
History of the Reign of Charles 

V., 69, 217, 219, 231. 
History of the United States, 

by Bancroft, 434-435, 444. 
History of the United States, 

by Hildreth, 434, 444. 
History of the World, by 

Orosius, 52. 
Hobbes, Thomas, 198. 
Hoby, Sir Thomas, 160. 
Hoccleve, Thomas, 125. 



INDEX. 



465 



Hohenlinden, 255. 
Holinsiied, Raphael, 160, 
346. 

Holland, Philemon, 160. 
Holland-Tide Tales, 388. 
Holmes, Oliver Wendell, 

432-433, 444, 445. 
Holy Island, 30. 
Home Thoughts from Abroad, 

266. 

Homer, 5, 31, 65, 72, 94, 114, 
172, 205, 208, 225, 229, 251, 
259, 323, 403. 

Homiliw Catholicw, 53-54. 

Homilies, by Aelfric, 54. 

Homilies, by Wulfstan, 55. 

Hooker, Richard, 155. 157, 
159. 

Hound of Heaven, 294, 297. 
Hous of Fame, 92, 97-98. 
House of Life, 289. 
House of the Seven Gables, 
426. 

House of the Wolfings, 290, 
297. 

How They Brought the Good 
News from Ghent to Aix, 
266. 

Howard, Henry, Earl of 

Surrey, 138-140, 158, 159. 
Howell, James, 198. 
Hrothgar, 37, 38. 

HUCHOUN OF THE AWLE REALE, 

78. 

Huckleberry Finn, 443. 
Hudibras, 167. 188-189, 190, 

197, 378, 420. 
Hughes, John, 438-439, 445. 
Hume, Alexander, 160. 
Hume, David, 201, 203, 217- 

218, 230, 231, 269, 271, 378. 
Humorous verse, by Byles, 417. 
Humorous verse, by Green, 

417. 

Humorous verse, by Seccomb, 
417. 

Humphry Clinker, 213, 214, 
231. 

Hunnis, William, 160. 
Husband's Message, 34, 35, 36. 



Hutcheson, Francis, 366. 
Huxley, Thomas Henry, 240, 
243. 

Hygelac, 38. 

Hylas and Philonous, 355, 356. 

Hymn, defined, 3. 

Hymn Before Sunrise in the 

Vale of Chamouni, 247. 
Hymn to Intellectual Beauty, 

257. 

Hymns, by Faber, 275. 
Hymns of the Church and Irish 

Writers, 377. 
Hyperion, by Keats, 258. 
Hyperion, by Longfellow, 428. 

Ichabod Crane, 424. 

Idea of a University, 286, 287. 

Idler, The, 202, 222, 224. 

Idyll, defined, 263. 

Idylls of the King, 122, 261, 

263, 297. 
Iliad, 5, 94, 208. 
Iliad, translated into Irish, 403. 
II Paddy Whack in Italia, 5, 

399. 

II Penseroso, 91, 181, 182. 

Illustrious Providences, 416. 

Imaginative poems, by Fre- 
neau, 420. 

Impeachment of Warren Hast- 
ings, 359, 362. 

Invpressions of Theophrastus 
Such, 280. 

In Te, Christe, 325. 

Inaugurals, 419. 

Indian Mutiny, 235. 

Indo-European Family of Lan- 
guages, 9-10, 24. 

Influence of the Irish Mind 
on English Literature, 376- 
377, 411. 

Influencing agencies on Ameri- 
can literature in the nine- 
teenth century, 422-423. 

Influencing agencies on early 
American literature, 415. 

Influencing agencies on nine- 
teenth century literature, 
239-242, 295. 



466 



IXDEX. 



Influencing agencies on six- 
teenth century literature, 
131, 158, 

Influencing agencies on the 
English literature of Ire- 
land in the nineteenth cen- 
tury, 373-376. 

Inglis, 104. 

Inisfail, 405, 412. 

In Memoriam, 261, 262, 263. 

Innocents Abroad, 443. 

Inquiry Concerning the Prin- 
ciples of Morals, 217. 

Instauratio Scientiarum, 178, 
180. 

Insula Sanctorum, 303, 309. 
Introduction to the Literature 

of Europe, 268, 271, 295, 

297. 

Invasion, The, 388. 

Iona. 28, 29, 30, 58, 224, 303, 

332. 
Irene, 222. 

Irish Annals and Histories, 

328-330. 
Irish Brigade, 199, 396. 
Irish Language, 321-324, 381- 

382, 411. 
Irish Manuscripts. 320. 321, 

324, 374, 375, 376, 397. 
Irish Melodies, 1. 385, 386, 

387, 403, 411, 412. 

Irish Melodies, translated into 
Irish, 403. 

Irish Missionaries, 302-303, 
335. 

Irish Parliamentary Party, 409. 
Irish Rebellion of 1798, 201, 

343, 350. 
Irish Rebellion of 1848, 369. 
Irish Sketch-Book, 379. 
Ironsides, 163. 

Irving, Washington 102, 

138, 423-424, 443, 444. 
Isabella, 258. 

Isabella, or the Fatal Mar- 
riage, 348. 

Isabella the Catholic, 127. 

Isle of Saints, 389. 

Isabel's Child, 268. 



Israfel, 429. 

Ivan Ivanovitch, 266. 

Ivanhoe, 251. 

I W as Wandering and Weary, 
275. 

Jacques de Vitry, 102. 

James I. of Scotland. King, 

109, 111, 116-117, 161, 162. 
James VI. of Scotland, King, 

160. 

Jamestown, founded, 413. 
Jane Talbot, 420. 
Jarrow, 32, 46, 50, 58. 
Jay, John, 420. 
Jean a la Barbe, 101. 
Jean de Bourgogne, 101, 102. 
Jefferson, Thomas, 413, 419, 
421. 

Jeffrey. Lord. 242, 243. 272, 
273, 295, 297, 327, 419. 

Jerome, St., 43, 217, 442. 

Jerusalem Delivered, 5. 

Jerusalem, My Happy Home, 
3. 

Jesuits in North America, 7, 

435, 437, 445. 
Jew of Malta, 140, 141. 
"J. K. L.,*' 384, 385. 
Joan of Arc, 108. 
Joan of Arc, bv Mark Twain, 

443. 

JOCELIN OF BRAKELOND, 80. 

Jocoseria, 265. 

Jogu.es, Isaac, 414. 

John de Cella, 81. 

John Gilpin, 229. 

John of Bameveld, 435, 437. 

John of Boldensele, 102. 

John of Gaunt, 92, 93, 97. 

John of Piano Carpini, 102. 

John of Salisbury, 69-70, 

79, 80. 84. 
John Scotus Eriugena, 337. 
John Woodvil, 260. 
Johnson, Samuel, 18, 25, 

198. 201, 202. 203. 204, 205, 

209, 210, 212. 222-225, 230, 

231, 346, 356, 367. 



INDEX. 



467 



Johnsonese, 230. 
Johnstone, Charles, 366. 
Jonathan Wild, 213. 

Jonson, Ben, 142, 143 174- 

176, 197. 
Joseph Andrews, 213, 214. 
Joseph of Arimathea, 77. 
Joseph of Exeter, 79, 80, 84, 

86. 

Journey to Ireland, 379. 
Journey to the Western Isles 

of Scotland, 222, 224. 
Joy of Earth, 282. 
Julian and Maddalo, 256. 
Julian the Apostate, 405. 
Juliana, 44. 

Juliet Grenville, 353, 355. 

Julius Caesar, 12, 26. 

Julius Caesar, bv Shakespeare, 

168, 170. 
Junius, 200, 385, 403. 
Jutes, 13, 14, 26. 

Kavanagh, 428. 

Keating, Geoffrey, 319, 328, 

329, 346. 
Keats, John, 232. 242, 257, 

258-259, 295, 297, 396. 
Kelly, Hugh, 366. 
Kelts. See Celts. 
Kennedy, Quintin, 160. 
Kennedy, Walter, 125, 160. 
Killian, St., 303. 
Kincora, 326. 
King Alisaunder, 77. 
King Hart, 134, 135. 
King Henry V., 170. 
King Horn, 76-77. 
Kingis Quair, 116-117. 
King James's Bible, 162. 
King Lear, 83, 168, 170, 347. 
King Richard III., 170. 
King Stephen, 259. 
King's Tragedy, 289. 
Knickerbocker's History of 

Neio York, 423, 424. 
Knight's Tale, 90, 94, 95. 
Knox, John, 130, 160. 



Kubla Khan, 247. 
Kyd, Thomas, 160. 

La Belle Dame Sans Merci, 

258, 259. 
La Saisiaz, 265. 
La Salle, 435, 437. 
Lady Judith, 410. 
Lady of Shalott, 263. 
Lady of the Lake, 3, 249, 251, 

297. 

Lalla Rookh, 3, 385, 387. 
L' Allegro, 91, 181, 182. 
Lamb, Charles, 260, 261, 297. 
Lamb, Mary, 260. 

Lament for Clarence Mangan, 
395. 

Lament for the Princes, 327. 
Lamia, 258, 259. 
Land Beyond the Sea, 275. 
Land Laws, 371. 
Lanfranc, 65, 85. 
Langland, William, 105-106, 
107. 

Langton, Stephen, 61, 78, 79, 
84. 

Language, defined, 1. 
Lanigan, John, 383-384, 385, 
412. 

Laon and Cythna, 256. 

Last Essays of Elia, 260, 261. 

Last Leaf, 433, 444. 

Last of the Mohicans, 425. 

Last Ride Together, 266. 

Last Rose of Summer, 2, 386. 

Later Transition Age, 73-78. 

Lateran Council, 68. 

Latimer, Hugh, 160. 

Latin Writers of England, 79- 

84, 86, 99, 111. 
Latin Vulgate, 217. 
Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, 

155, 157, 159. 
Layamon, 71-72, 83, 86. 
Lay of the Last Minstrel, 249. 
Lays of Ancient Rome, 268, 

270. 

Lays of the Red Branch, 406. 



468 



INDEX. 



Lays of the Western Gael, 406. 
Le Brut oV Angleterre, 78. 
Leabhar Breac, 316. 
Leabhar Gabhdla, 333. 
Leaders of Public Opinion in 

Ireland, 408. 
Lear and His Daughters, 83. 
Leben Jesu, 280. 
Lecky, William Edward 

Hartpole, 243, 408-409, 

412. 

Lecture, denned, 6. 

Lectures, by Burke, 6. 402, 
404, 412. 

Lectures, by Emerson, 440. 

Lectures on English Litera- 
ture, 6, 124, 238-239. 

Lectures on Shakespeare, 245, 
246. 

Lee, Nathaniel, 198. 

Legal and Political Sketches, 

393, 412. 
Legend of Jubal, 280. 
Legend of Montrose, 327. 
Legend of Sleepy Hollow, 424. 
Legend e of Good Women, 92. 

98. 

Legends of St. Patrick, 405. 
Legends of the Saints, 102. 
Lelaxd, John, 160. 
Leslie, Charles, 348, 366. 
Leslie, John, 160. 
Letter, denned, 5. 

Letter on the Affairs of Ire- 
land, 359. 

Letter from Italy, 209. 

Letter to a Noble Lord, 360. 

Letter to the Sheriffs of Bris- 
tol, 359. 

Letters, by Banim, 390. 

Letters, by Burns, 226. 

Letters, by Cowper, 226, 229. 

Letters, by Franklin, 417, 418. 

Letters, by Goldsmith, 5. 

Letters, by Lanfrane, 65. 

Let U rn, by Macaulay, 5. 

Letters, by Pope, 205, 208. 

Letters, by Sir Thomas More 
151, 152, 154. 



Letters, by Steele, 350, 351. 
Letters, by Sterne, 353. 
Letters, by Washington, 419. 
Letters in reply to Dr. Magee, 
384. 

Letters of Junius, 5, 200, 202, 
403. 

Letters of Peter Plymley, 272. 

Letters on the State of Ire- 
land 383, 384, 412. 

Letters to his Friends, 384. 

Letters and Discourses, bv 
Hughes, 439, 445. 

Letters and Poems, by Alcuin, 
50. 

Lever, Charles James, 399, 

401-402, 411, 412. 
Liber Hymnorum, 325. 
Liberty of the Will, 66. 
Life of Columbus, 423, 424. 
Life of Gibbon, 221. 
Life of Johnson, 7, 225, 230. 
Life of Nelson, 247, 297. 
Life of Pope Leo XIII., 410. 
Life of Prescott, 436. 
Life of Sheridan, 385. 
Life of Sir Robert Peel, 410. 
Life of Sir Walter Scott, 296. 
Life of St. Columbkille, 331, 

332. 

Life of St. Dunstan, 81. 
Life of St. Ignatius Loyola, 

293, 294, 297. 
Life of St. Martin of Tours, 

333. 

Life of Washington, 423, 424. 
Life, Manners, and Customs of 

the Ancient Irish, 397, 398. 
Life and Death of Jason, 290. 
Life and Death of St. Guthlac, 

44. 

Life and Times of Bishop 
Doyle, 7, 384, 412. 

Life and Voyages of Christo- 
pher Columbus, 102. 

Ligeia, 429. 

Limerick, Treaty of, 313. 
Lindesat, Robert, 160. 
Lindisfarne, 30, 32, 56, 58, 

303. 



INDEX. 



469 



Lines to his Mother's Picture. 
229. 

Lines Written a Few Miles 
Above Tintern Abbey, 245. 

Lixgard, John, 1, 128, 165, 
243, 268-260, 295, 297. 

Linley Rochford, 410. 

Lismore, 302. 

Literature, defined, 1. 

Literature, divisions of, 1. 

Literature and Dogma, 285. 

Litorature of the Eighteenth 
Century, 198-231. 

Literature of the Fifteenth 
Century, 107-125. 

Literature of the Nineteenth 
Century, 232-297. 

Literature of the Norman Per- 
iod, 58-86. 

Literature of the Seventeenth 
Century, 161-198. 

Literature of the Sixteenth 
Century, 125-160. 

Lives of British Admirals, 247. 

Lives of Distinguished Ameri- 
can Naval Officers, 425. 

Lives of the Irish Saints, 319. 
331, 332. 

Lives ot the Poets, 222, 223. 
224, 231. 

Lives of the Saints, 142. 215, 
216, 231. 

Llancarvan, 32, 58. 

Locke, John, 198. 

Lockhart, John Gibson, 243. 
249, 296. 

Locksley Hall, 263. 

Locrine, 291. 

Lodge, Thomas, 160. 

London, 222, 223, 225. 

London Magazine, 261. 

London Reader, 382. 

London University, 254. 

Longfellow, Henry Wads- 
worth, 1, 405, 426, 427- 
428. 432, 441. 444. 

Long Parliament, 164. 

Lord Kilgobbin, 401. 

Lord of the Isles, 104. 



Lord Ormont and His Aminta. 
281. 

Lord Ullin's Daughter, 255. 
Lotos-Eaters, The, 263. 
Love and a Bottle, 348. 
Love is Enough, 290. 
Love Triumphant, 4. 
Lovelace, Richard, 198. 
Lover, Samuel, 5, 399-400, 

402, 411, 412. 
Lowell, James Russell, 93, 

196, 440-441, 444. 445. 
Lowland Scotch, 25. 
Luther, Martin, 126, 157, 340. 
Luxeuil, 303. 
Lycidas, 3, 91, 181, 183. 
Lydgate, John, 99, 107, 111. 

117-119, 125. 
Lyly, John, 160. 
Lynch, John, 328, 330, 346. 
Lyndsay, Sir David, 160. 
Lyric Drama, defined, 5. 
Lyric Poetry, defined, 2. 
Lyrical Ballads, 243, 246. 
Lyrics, by Godfrey, 417. 
Lyrics, by Marlowe, 141. 
Lyrics, by Poe, 429, 444. 
Lysaght, Edward, 366. 
Lyttleton, George, Lord, 

224. 

MacCarthy, Denis Florence, 
367, 374, 377, 404-405, 411, 
412. 

MacCarthy More, 399. 
MacFirbis, Duald, 319, 328, 

329, 337. 
MacFlecknoe, 192. 
MacGorman, Finn, 332. 
MacHale, John, 368, 373, 

402-403, 412. 
MacLiag, 326, 337. 
MacNamee, 326. 
MacWard, 326, 337. 
McCarthy, Justin, 7, 379, 

409-410, 411, 412. 
McFingal, 420, 421. 
McGee, Thomas Darcy, 368, 

374, 411. 



470 



INDEX. 



Mabinogion, 263. 

Macaulay, Lord, 5, 6, 210, 

225, 232, 241, 243, 260. 268, 

269-270. 271, 295, 297, 345, 

359, 378. 
Macbeth, 4, 168, 170. 
Mackenzie, Henry, 231. 
Macklin, Charles, 366. 
Macmillan's Magazine, 242. 
Macpherson, James, 231, 325, 

378. 

Madison, James, 419, 420, 

421. 
Madoc, 247. 
Maelmuiri, 332. 
Magna Charta. 59, 61, 66, 84, 

85. 

Magnalia Christi Americana, 

417, 421. 
Maguire, Charles, 329. 
Maid of Athens, 410. 
Maildubh, 42, 303. 
Maitland, Sir Richard, 160. 
Major, John, 160. 
Malone, Edmund, 366. 
Malory, Sir Thomas, 83, 111, 

119-122, 125, 263. 
Mangan, James Clarence, 

304, 327. 374, 377. 393, 394- 

395, 396, 411, 412. 
Manhood Suffrage, 234. 
Manners, Customs, and Gov- 
ernment of the Ancient 

Irish, 376. 
Manning, Henry Edward, 

235, 240, 243, 286, 287, 288. 

296. 297. 
Mannyng, Robert, 73, 74, 75, 

86. 

Mansfield Park, 260. 

Manuel des Pechiez, 75. 

Map, Walter, 80. 

-1/'//) of Life, 408. 

Marble Faun, 426. 

Marco Polo, 102. 

Maria Teresa, 199. 

Marino F alter 0, 291. 

Mark Twain, 442-443, 444. 

M/u'lboroughv Duke of, 198, 



Marlowe, Christopher, 4, 

133, 140-142, 158, 159. 
Marmion, 135, 249, 251. 
Marquette, Jacques, 414. 
Marshall, T. W. M., 235, 243. 
Marston, John, 347. 
Martin, Gregory, 217. 
Maryell, Andrew, 198. 
2Iary Magdalen's Tears, 144. 
Mary Morison, 228. 
Mary Stuart, 291. 
Mary Tudor, 405. 
Maryland, founded, 413. 
Mask of Anarchy, 256. 
Mason, William, 231. 
Masque, meaning of, 182. 
Massacre at Paris, 140. 
Massinger, Philip, 167, 176- 

177, 197. 
Materialistic Spirit, 240, 295. 
Mather, Cotton, 416, *21. 
Mather, Increase, 416. 
Mather, Richard, 416. 
Matthew Paris, 79, 80, 81, 

82, 86. 
Maud, 261, 263. 
Maud Midler, 432. 
May Carols, 405. 
Meagher, Thomas Francis, 

374. 

Measure for Measure, 4. 
Medal, The, 192. 
Meeting of the Waters, 386. 
Melodrama, defined, 4-5. 
Melyille, Sir James, 160. 
Memoirs of Martinus Scrib- 

lerus, 209. 
Memoirs of Missionary Priests, 

215, 216, 231. 
Men and Women, 265. 
M er chant of Venice, 91, 141, 

170. 

Meredith, George, 232, 242, 

281-282, 296, 297. 
Meres, Francis, 160. 
Merle and the Nightingale, 

136, 137. 
Merlin, 121. 



INDEX. 



471 



Merlin and Arthur, 77. 
Merry England, 293. 
Metrical Life of St. Patrick, 

331, 337. 
Metrical Romance, 76, 111. 
Mexican War, 421, 422. 
Middle Ages, 64, 85. 
Middle English Period, 16, 25. 
Middle English Spelling, 17-18. 
Middlemarch, 279, 280. 
Middleton, Thomas., 198. 
Midsummer Holiday, 291. 
Midsummer Night's Dream, 

170. 

Milesians, 299, 335, 365. 
Milesius, 299, 365. 
Mill, John Stuart, 240. 
Mill on the Floss, 279. 
Milton, John, 3. 5, 41, 80, 

83, 91, 144, 161, 167, 168, 

181-188, 197, 208, 224, 245. 
Minot, Laurence, 73, 76, 86. 
Minstrel Boy, 386. 
Minute Philosopher, 355, 356, 

366. 
Mirabeau, 283. 
Miracle Plays, 132. 
Mirour de V Omm e, 99. 
Mirror for Magistrates, 149, 

150, 159. 
Miscellanea, 439. 
Miscellaneous Ancient Irish 

Books, 332-334. 
Miscellanies, by Manning, 286. 
Miscellanies, by Pope, 207. 
Misfortunes of Barney Bran- 

agan, 401. 
Miss Misanthrope, 410. 
Mitchel, John, 339, 374. 
Mivart, St. George, 243. 
Mixed Essays, 285. 
Modern English Period, 17, 25, 

133. 

Modern Love, 282. 
Modern Novel, Origin of, 203, 
230. 

Modern Painters, 282, 284. 
Molly Bawn, 400. 



Molyneux, William, 347 
348. 

Monasteries, 31, 56, 57, 58, 66, 
85, 157, 317, 318. 

Monastic Schools, 67, 85. 

Monastic Schools (Irish), 302. 

Montagu, Lady Mary Wort- 
ley, 231. 

Montcalm, Marquis de, 200, 
414, 437. 

Montezuma, 436. 

Montgomery Alexander, 160. 

Month, The, 243. 

Moore, Thomas, 1, 2, 3, 242, 
322, 326, 367, 373, 376, 377, 
385-387, 403, 405, 411, 412, 
433. 

Morality Plays, 132. 

More, Hannah, 231. 

More, Henry, 198. 

More, Sir Thomas, 125, 127, 

129, 133, 151-155, 159, 290, 

391. 

Morning Post, 202. 
Morris, William, 153, 290, 
297. 

Morrison, Rory Dall, 327. 

Morse's Telegraph, 237. 

Mortal Antipathy, A, 433. 

Morte d' Arthur (metrical ro- 
mance), 77. 

Morte d' Arthur, by Malory, 
83, 119-122, 125, 263. 

Morte d' Arthur, by Tennyson, 
122. 

Morton, Cardinal, 151. 
Motley, John Lothrop, 435, 

437, 444. 
Mrs. Malaprop, 362. 
MS. Materials of Ancient Irish 

History, 318, 319. 333. 334, 

337, 376, 397, 398, 412. 
Muller, Max, 19, 322. 
Munday, Anthony, 160. 
Munster War-Song, 395. 
Murders in the Rue Morgue, 

429. 

Murphy, Arthur, 366. 
My Enemy's Daughter, 410. 
My Heart's in the Highlands, 
227. 



472 



INDEX. 



My Land, 394, 412. 
My Nanie, O, 227. 
My Study Windows, 93, 440, 
441. 

Mystery of Marie Roget, 429. 

Napier. Sir William Fran- 
cis Patrick, 412. 

Napoleon, 232, 233, 239. 

Narrative Poetry, defined, 3, 

Naseby, Battle of, 163. 

Nash, Thomas, 160. 

Nation, The, 373, 374, 394, 
396. 

National Education in Ireland, 
373. 

National University of Ireland, 
382. 

Nationality, 394. 
Nature, Addresses, Lectures, 
440. 

Naval History of the United 

States, 425. 
Nennius, 83. 

New Atlantis, 153, 178, 180. 
New England, colonized, 413. 
New International Dictionary, 
18. 

New Monthly Magazine, 254, 
392. 

New Poems, by Thompson, 
293. 

"New Version" of the Psalms, 
346. 

New Way to Pay Old Debts, 

177, 197. 
New York, settled, 413. 
Newcomes, The, 277, 296, 379. 
New max, John Henry, 6. 173, 

221, 232, 234, 235, 240, 241, 

243, 286-287, 296, 297, 383. 
News from Nowhere, 153, 290. 
Newspapers, Origin of, 201- 

202. 

Newton, Sir Isaac, 231. 
Nicholas Nickleby, 277. 
Nineteenth Century, 243, 382. 
Noli, Pater, 325. 
Norman Conquest, 14. 15, 58, 

59, 60, 61, 65, 66, 70, 84, 

85, 106. 



Norman-French Language, 15, 
16. 

Normans, 15, 307, 314, 336, 
373. 

North, Sir Thomas, 160. 
North American Review, 423, 
433, 441. 

Nor than ger Abbey, 260. 
Northumbria, 30, 36, 304. 
Note-Books, 425. 
Novel, defined, 6. 
Novels, by Brown, 420, 421. 
Novels, by Carleton, 399, 400- 
401. 

Novels, by Cooper, 425, 426. 
Novels, by Hawthorne, 425, 
426. 

Novels, by Lever, 399, 401- 
402. 

Novels, by Lover, 399, 400. 
Novels, by McCarthy, 409„ 410. 
Nowlans, The, 390. 
Number of English words, 18, 
25. 

O'Callaghan, John Corne- 
lius, 4, 12. 

O'Carolan, Torlough, 327, 
337. 

Oceana, 153. 

O'Clery,, Conary, 330. 

O'Clery, Michael, 330, 337, 
346. 

O'Clery, Peregrine, 330. 

O'Connell, Daniel, 6, 233, 
235, 239, 368, 369, 373, 391- 
392, 393, 408, 410, 412, 431. 

O'Connor, Rory, 308, 336. 

O'Connor's Child, 255. 

O'Conor, Charles, 398. 

O'Curry, Eugene, 317. 319, 
320, 330, 333, 334, 375, 376, 
397-398, 399, 411, 412. 

Ode, defined, 2-3. 

Ode for St, Cecilia's Day, 347. 

Ode for the O'Connell Centen- 
ary, 405. 

Ode on Intimations of Immor- 
tality, 245. 

Ode on Solitude, 205. 



INDEX. 



473 



Ode to a Grecian Urn, 259. 
Ode to a Nightingale, 259. 
Ode to Autumn, 259. 
Ode to Duty, 254. 
Ode to Liberty, 257. 
Ode to Melancholy, 259. 
Ode to the Departing Year, 
246. 

Ode to the Setting Sun, 294. 
Ode to the West Wind, 257. 
Odes, by Coleridge, 245, 246. 
Odes, by Shelley, 256, 257. 
Odes, by Tennyson, 261 . 
Odes, by Wordsworth, 243, 
245. 

Odes and Sonnets, by Keats, 

258, 259. 
O'Donnell, Hugh, 129, 311, 

336. 

O'Donovan, John, 304, 320, 
330, 375, 376, 397, 398-399, 
411, 412. 

Odoric of Pordenone, 102. 

O'Dugan, John, 327, 337, 399. 

Odyssey, 208. 

O'Flaherty, Roderick, 337. 
Of the Christian Religion, 209. 
Ogham Inscriptions, 406, 407. 
Ohthere and Wulfstan, 52. 
O'Kane, Manus, 326. 
O'Kane, Rory Dall, 327, 337. 
O'Keeffe, John, 366. 
Old Curiosity Shop, 277. 
Old English Chronicle. See 

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 
Old Familiar Faces, 261. 
Old Ironsides, 433. 
Old Regime in Canada, 435. 
Old Testament, translated by 

Aelfric, 54. 
Old Times, 389. 
O'Leary, Arthur, 366. 
Ollamh Fodla, 300. 
O'Mulchonry, Ferfeasa, 330. 
O'Neill, Hugh. 129, 145, 311, 

318, 330, 336, 381. 
O'Neill, Shane, 312, 314, 315. 
O'Neill, Terence, 375. 



On Catholic Emancipation,' 
363. 

On First Looking Into Chap- 
man's Homer, 259. 

On Music, 386. 

On Original Sin, 66. 

On the Morning of Christ's 
Nativity, 181, 182. 

On Translating Homer, 285. 

On Truth, 66. 

One-Hoss Shay, 433. 

One of Our Conquerors, 281. 

One Word More, 266. 

Opera Bouffe, defined, 5, 

Opus Ma jus, 84. 

Oration, defined, 6. 

Orations, by Everett, 6, 431. 
444. 

Orations, by Phillips, 431, 444. 
Ordeal of Richard Fevercl, 
281. 

Order of Merit, 408. 

Ordericus Vitalis, 79. 

Orient Ode, 294. 

Orm, 72. 

Ormond, 420. 

Ormulum, 71, 72, 73, 86. 

Oroonoko, 348. 

Ossian, 324, 325, 337, 375, 
378. 

O'SULLIVAN BEARE, PHILIP, 

346. 

Othello, 168, 170. 
Otho the Great, 259. 
Ottava Rima, 258. 
Otway, Thomas, 198. 
Over the Tea-Cups, 433. 
Oyerbury, Sir Thomas, 198. 
Ovid, 100. 

Oxford Movement, 234, 235. 

Oxford University, 68. 69, 70, 
86, 162. 209. 217, 220, 241, 
256, 265, 274, 284. 285, 286, 
287, 290, 291, 350. 

Pacchiarotto, 265. 
Pagan Ireland, 298-301. 
Pains of Sleep, 247. 
Painter, William, 160. 



474 



IKDEX. 



Pale, The, 308, 311, 314. 

Paley, William, 231. 

Police of Honour, 134, 135, 
159. 

Paltock, Robert, 231. 

Pamela, 213, 215. 

Pamphlet Literature, Period of, 
164. 

Pamphlets, by Johnson, 222. 
Pamphlets, by Swift, 351, 353. 
"Papist," 340. 
Paracelsus, 264. 
Paradise Lost, 5, 41, 91, 94, 
168, 181, 183-186, 187, 197. 
Paradise Regained, 181, 187. 
Par erg a, 247. 

Parkman, Francis, 7, 435, 
436-437, 444, 445. 

Parlement of Foules, 92. 

Parleying s, 265. 

Parliament, English, 59,60.61, 
85, 162, 163, 164, 200, 235, 
313, 350, 358, 361, 362, 368, 
382, 391, 392, 408, 409. 

Parliament, Irish, 338, 341, 
362, 365, 367. 

Parnell, Sir John, 367. 

Parnell, Thomas, 231, 366. 

Passiones Sanctorum, 54. 

Pastoral Ballad, 3. 

Pastoral Poetry, denned, 3. 

Pastorals, by Pope, 3. 

Patience, 73, 77, 86. 

Patmore, Coventry, 292-293. 
297. 

Patrick, St., 216, 301, 331, 

335, 341. 
Patriot, The, 355. 
Pauline 264, 
Paulinus, 383. 
Pearl, 73, 77, 86. 
Pecock, Reginald, 125. 
Peele, George, 160. 
Penal Days, The, 394, 411. 
Penal Laws. 162, 197, 216, 

318, 319, 336, 338-345, 349, 

364, 365, 368, 373, 374, 378, 

384, 401, 411. 



Pendennis, 277, 379. 
Penn, William, 413. 
Pennsylvania, colonized, 413. 
Pentateuch, translated into 

Irish, 403. 
Pepys, Samuel, 198. 
Peregrine Pickle, 213. 
Periodical Literature, Rise of, 

202, 230, 295, 350, 351, 365. 
Periodical Literature in U. S., 

423. 

Persuasion, 260. 

Peter of Langtoft, 75. 

Petrarch, 90, 140, 245. 

Petrie, George, 375, 398. 

Philippic Against Flood, 363. 

Philips, Ambrose, 231. 

Phillips, Wendell, 392, 393, 
431, 444. 

Philosophical Essays Concern- 
ing Human Understanding, 
217, 218. 

Phoenix, 44. 

Piccolomini, 246. 

Pickwick Papers, 277. 

Picts, 28, 29. 

Picturesque Sketches of Greece 

and Turkey, 406. 
Pied Piper of Hamelin, 266. 
Piers Plowman, 105-106. 
Pilgrim's Progress, 135. 
Pillar Towers of Ireland, 405. 
Pioneers, The, 425. 
Pioneers of France in the New 

World, 435, 437. 
Pistyl of Sweet Susane, 77. 
Pit and the Pendulum, 429. 
Pitt, William, 233, 367. 
Planting of the Apple Tree, 

432. 
Plato, 356. 

Play of St. Catherine, 132. 
Plays, by Dryden, 192, 193. 
Plays, by Goldsmith, 356, 357, 
3*58. 

Plays, by Shakespeare, 168, 

169, 171. 
Plays, by Sheridan, 361-362. 



INDEX. 



475 



Pleasures of Hope, 253, 254, 

297. 
Plegmund, 52. 
Plunkett, Oliver, 165. 
Poe, Edgar Allan, 429-430, 

444, 445. 

Poe's Influence, 429, 430. 
Poem, defined, 2. 
Poems, by Arnold, 285, 286. 
Poems, by Browning, 264, 265, 
266. 

Poems, by Burns, 226. 
Poems, by Cowper, 226, 230. 
Poems, by Davis, 393, 394, 
396. 

Poems, by De Vere, 404, 405. 
Poems, by Emerson, 440. 
Poems, by Faber, 274, 275. 
Poems, by Ferguson, 406, 407. 
Poems, by Freneau, 420, 421. 
Poems, by George Eliot, 279, 
280. 

Poems, by Goldsmith, 356, 357. 
Poems, by Griffin, 388, 389. 
Poems, by Lamb, 260, 261. 
Poems, by Lecky, 408. 
Poems, by Longfellow, 427, 
428. 

Poems, by Lover, 399, 400. 
Poems, by MacCarthy,404,405. 
Poems, by Mangan, 393, 394- 
395. 

Poems, by Meredith, 281, 282. 
Poems, by Poe, 429. 
Poems, by Scott, 248, 249, 
251. 

Poems, by Southwell, 159. 
Poems, by Swift, 351, 353. 

P °26S' by Tennyson ' 261 ' 262? 
Poems, by Thompson, 293, 294. 
Poems, by Williams, 393, 395- 
396. 

Poems Before Congress, 267, 
268. 

Poems and Ballads, by Swin- 
burne, 291. 

Poems and Essays, by Wil- 
iams, 394. 

Poems, chiefly Lyrical, 262. 
31 



Poems of the English Roadside, 
282. 

P °t3S at the Breakfast Table, 
Poetry, defined, 1. 
Poetry antecedent to Prose, 33. 
Poets' Corner, 93. 
Poitiers, Battle of, 87, 88. 
Pole, Cardinal, 383. 
Polite Conversation, 351, 353. 
Political Discourses, 217. 
Political Romance, 153, 159. 
Political Satires, by Freneau, 
420. 

Polycraticus, 84. 

Poor Richard's Almanac, 418. 

Poor Scholar, The, 400, 412. 

Pope, Alexander, 3, 149, 178, 
198, 201, 205-209, 224, 230, 
347, 354, 356, 432, 433. 

"Popery," 340. 

"Popish," 340. 

Population of Ireland, 411. 

Population of United States, 
422. 

Portrait, A, 389. 
Prwterita, 282. 
Praise of St. B rigid, 325. 
Praise of Virginity, 32, 42, 43. 
Prelude, The, 243, 244. 
Pre-Raphaelites, 288, 289, 292. 
Prescott, William Hickling. 

7, 435-436, 444. 
Prestonpans, Battle of, 200. 
Pride and Prejudice, 260, 297. 

Prince Hoh&nstiel-Schwanqau, 
265. ' 

Prince of Parthia, 417. 

"Prince of Preachers," 404. 

Princess, The, 261, 262. 

Principle in Art, 292, 293. 

Principles of Human Knowl- 
edge, 355, 356. 

Printing, Invention of, 123, 
238. 

Printing; introduced into Eng- 
land, 114, 158. 

Printing, introduced into Ire- 
land, 346. 



4i6 



INDEX. 



Peiok Matthew, 231. 
Prisoner of Chillon, 251, 252. 
Procter,, Adelaide Ann, 9, 
242. 

Professor at the Breakfast 

Table. 433. 
Prologue to the Canterbury 

Tales, 94-95, 96. 
Prometheus Unbound^ 257. 
Promise of May, 264. 
Prose, defined, 1. 
Prose Romances, 112. 
Prose Tales, by Poe, -429. 
Prose Works, by Longfellow, 

427, 428. 
Prynne, William, 198. 
Psalm of Life, 428. 
Psalms of David, 52. 
Psalter of Cashel, 319. 
Psalter of Tara, 300, 319. 
Public Advertiser, 200, 202. 
Public Letters, by Burke, 358, 

359, 360. 
Public Letters, by MacHale, 

402, 403, 412. 
Public Spirit of the Whigs, 

353. 

Pudd'nhead Wilson, 443. 
Puritans, 163, 167, 168, 413. 
Purloined Letter, 429. 
puttenham, george, 160. 
Pye, Henry James, 347. 

Quadrivium, 67. 
Quarles, Francis, 198. 
Quarterly Revieiv, 242. 
Quebec, Battle of, 200, 414. 
Queen Mary, 264. 
Queen Mother and Rosamund, 
291. 

Queen's College, Belfast, 398. 
Queen's Colleges, 376. 
Querist, The, 349, 355. 
Quest of the Saint-Graal, 121- 
122. 

Rabbi Ben Ezra, 266. 
Radcliffe, Ann, 231. 
Raleigh, Sir Walter, 160, 
198, 312. 



Ralph of Dlceto, 80. 
Ralph Roister Doister, 133. 
Rambler, The, 202, 222, 224, 
225. 

Ramsay, Allan, 231, 
Ranns, 377. 

Rape of the Lock, 205, 206. 
Rasselas, 222, 224, 225. 
Rationalism in Europe, 408. 
Raven, The, 429. 
Reading of Earth, 282. 
Reason Why God Created Man, 
66. 

Recluse, The, 244. 
Recollections, by De Yere, 
406. 

Recollections of the Last Four 

Popes, 274. 
Recuyell of the Histories of 

Troy, 122, 123. 
Red Diamonds, 410. 
Redmond, Count O'Hanlon, 

401. 

Reed, Henry, 6, 113, 114, 133- 
134, 238-239. 

Reflections on the Dead- Alive, 
388, 390. 

Reflections on the French Rev- 
olution, 358, 360, 365-366. 

Reform Act of 1832, 233, 234. 

Reform Acts, 234. 

Reformation, The. 126, 127, 
128, 129, 130, 158, 168, 237, 
318, 336, 364. 

Reign of Queen Anne, 410. 

Reilly, Thomas Devin, 374. 

Relation of the Troubles, 416. 

Religio Laid, 192. 

Religio Poetw, 292, 293. 

Religious Unrest, 240, 295. 

Remains of St. Patrick, 406, 
407. 

Remarks on Several Parts of 

Italy, 209. 
Remember the Glories of Brian 

the Brave, 386. 
Reminiscences, by Carlyle, 282, 

283. 
Remorse, 246. 
Repeal of the Union, 369. 



INDEX. 



Reply to Corry, 363. 
Reply to Hayne, 430. 
Representative Men, 440, 445. 
Resignation, 285. 
Restoration, The, 164, 181, 

196, 351. 
Review, defined, 6. 
Review, Defoe's, 202. 
Review of Croker's Edition of 

BoswelVs Life of Johnson, 6. 
Reviews, by Thompson, 294. 
Revision of the Douay Bible, 

by Challoner, 215, 217. 
Revival of Letters (earlier), 

63, 65, 85. 
Revolt of Islam, 256, 257, 297. 
Reynolds, George Nugent, 

366. 

Reynolds, William, 217. 
Rheims-Douay Bible, 217. 
Rhyme, defined, 1. 
Rhyme, derived from Celtic 

Sources, 377. 
Rich, Barnabe, 160. 
Richard I., King, 59, 78, 79. 
Richard II., 170. 
Richard Cceur de Lion, 77. 
Richard op Burt, 80. 
Richard of Devizes, 80. 
Richardson, Samuel, 201, 

202, 213, 214, 215, 230, 231, 

280. 

Richard the Redeles, 106. 

Riddles, 44. 

Rights of Ireland, 363. 

Rime of the Ancient Mariner, 

245, 246, 247, 297. 
Rime Royal, 98. 
Ring and the Book, 2, 264, 

265, 297. 
Rip Van Winkle, 424. 
Rise of the Dutch Republic, 

435, 437, 444. 
"Rising of the North," 245. 
Rivals, The, 361-362. 
Rivers, Earl, 123. 
Robert of Brunne, 74. 
Robert of Gloucester, 73, 

74, 86. 



Robertson, William, 69, 201, 

203, 217, 218, 219, 230, 231, 

269, 271. 
Robin Hood, 112. 
Robinson Crusoe, 211, 212, 

230, 231, 378. 
Robynson, Ralph, 153. 
Rod, Root and Flower, 292, 

293. 

Roderick Random, 213. 

Roderick, the Last of the 

Goths, 247. 
Rody the Rover, 401. 
Roger of Hoveden, 79. 
Roger of Wendover, 81. 
Rogers., Samuel, 231. 
Roland Gashel, 401. 
Roman de Ron (Romance of 

Rollo), 78. 
Romance, defined, 7. 
Romances, 124. 

Romances of Chivalry, 73, 76- 
77, 86. 

"Romanism," 340. 

"Romanist," 340. 

Romantic Movement, Begin- 
nings of, 204. 

Romantic Movement, Culmina- 
tion of, 204, 242. 

Romanticism, 289. 

Romaunt of Margret, 268. 

Romaunt of the Rose, 91, 92, 
96-97, 98. 

Romeo and Juliet, 4, 170. 

"Romish," 340. 

Romola, 279, 280. 

Roper, William, 160. 

Rory O'More, 399, 400, 412. 

Rosalind and Helen, 256. 

Rosamond, 209. 

Rosamund Gray, 260. 

Rosamund, Queen of the Lom- 
bards, 291. 

Roscommon, Earl of, 6, 347. 

Rossetti, Dante Gabriel, 
288-289, 297, 430. 

Roundheads, 163. 

Rowe, Nicholas, 231. 



478 



INDEX. 



Royal Academy of Spain, 405. 
Royal Irish Academy, 320, 321, 

336, 376, 397, 406. 
Royal and Nolle Authors, 79. 
Rugby Chapel, 286. 
Ruin, The, 34, 36. 
Runnymede, 61, 84. 
Ruskin, John, 232, 240, 243. 

282, 284, 296, 297. 

Sabrina, 83. 

Sack of Baltimore, 315, 394. 
Sackville, Thomas, 149-150, 
159. 

Saint Graal, 121. 
Samson Agonistes, 181, 183. 
Sandra Belloni, 281. 
Sannazaro, 156. 
Sanskrit, 9, 10, 324. 
Sardanapalus, 252. 
Sartor Resartus, 282. 
Satires and Epistles, by Pope, 
205. 

Saturday Review, 243. 
Savonarola, 279. 
Saxon Heptarchy, 27, 30, 57. 
Saxons, 13, 14, 26, 57, 59, 308, 

314, 336, 383. 
Scarlet Letter, 426, 444. 
Scenes from Clerical Life, 279. 
Schiller, 246, 379. 
Scholar-Gipsy, The, 286. 
Scholemaster, The, 155, 156, 

159. 

School for Scandal, 4, 361, 362, 
366. 

Science and Revealed Religion, 

274, 276, 297. 
Scientific Spirit, 240, 295. 
Scorn not the Sonnet, 245. 
Scot, Reginald, 160. 
Scota, 299. 

Scotia, 28, 299, 325, 335. 
Scotia Minor, 299. 
Scots, 28. 

Scott, Alexander, 160. 



Scott, Sib Walter, 3, 7, 77, 
91, 104, 135, 138, 226, 232, 
241, 242, 248-251, 260, 280, 
296, 297, 327, 390, 402, 424. 

Scottis, 134. 

Scottish Dialect, 25. 

Scriptorium, 31. 

Seafarer, The, 34, 35. 

Seccomb, John, 417. 

Second Spring, 6. 

Secreta Secretorum, 100. 

Sejanus, 175. 

Semi-Saxon Period, 16, 71-73. 
Sempill, Robebt, 160. 
Sense and Sensibility, 260. 
Sentimental Journey, 353, 354. 
Sentinel of the Alma, 399. 
Seraphim and Other Poems, 
267. 

Sermo ad Sacerdotes, 54. 

Sermo Lupi ad Anglos, 54-55. 

Sermon, defined, 6. 

Sermons, by Burke, 404, 412, 

Sermons, by Edwards, 417. 

Sermons, by Fisher, 155, 159. 

Sermons, by Lanfranc, 65. 

Sermons, by Manning, 286, 
288, 297. 

Sermons, by Sterne, 353. 

Sermons, by Wyclif, 105. 

Sesame and Lilies, 282. 

Seton, Mother, 3. 

Seven Lamps of Architecture, 
282, 284. 

Seven Liberal Arts, 67. 

Seven Sages, 77. 

Seven Years* War, 200, 202. 

Shadwell, Thomas, 347. 

Shakespeaee, William, 2, 4, 
91, 133, 144, 161, 167, 168, 
169-173, 174, 176, 197, 225, 
245, 247, 250, 257, 259, 260, 
276, 292, 318, 346, 347, 360. 
363, 416. 

Shannon's Stream, 389. 

She Stoops to Conquer, 4, 349, 
357, 358. 

Sheil, Richabd Lalob, 239, 
368, 373, 391, 392-393, 412. 



1KDEX. 



479 



Shelley, Percy Bysshe, 3, 
232, 242, 256-257, 259, 295, 
297, 396. 

Shenstone, William,, 3, 231. 

Shepherd's Calendar, 144, 145- 
146. 

Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 
4, 5, 348, 349, 361-362, 366, 
376. 

Shirley,, James, 198. 

Short Poems, by Wordsworth, 

243, 245. 
Short Stories, by Hawthorne, 

425. 

Short and Easy Method with 

the Deists, 348. 
Shylock, 141. 

Sidney, Sir Philip, 101, 112, 
144, 148, 155, 156-157, 159. 

Sigurd the Volsung, 290. 

Silas Marner, 279, 280, 297. 

Simeon op Durham, 79. 

Sir Anthony Absolute, 362. 

Sir Charles Grandison, 213. 

Sir Fretful Plagiary, 362. 

Sir Gawane and the Grene 
Knight, 77. 

Sir Giles Overreach, 177. 

"Sir John Mandeville," 89, 
101. 

Sir John Mandeville' 's Travels, 
101-102. 

Sir Lancelot du Lac, 121. 
Sir Launcelot Greaves, 213. 
Sir Patrick Spens, 112, 113, 
125. 

Sir Roger de Coverley, 210. 
Sir Tristram, 122. 
Sir Tristrem, 76. 
Sir Turlough, 401. 
Siris, 355, 356. 
Sirventes, 79. 

Sister of Charity, 2, £>89, 395, 
412. 

Sister Songs, 293. 
Sisters, The, 291. 
Skelton, John, 101, 160. 
Sketch-Book, The, 423, 424, 
443, 444. 



Sketches of the Irish Bar, 392. 

Skylark, The, 257. 

Smart, Christopher, 231. 

Smith, Adam, 231. 

Smith, John, 415. 

Smith, Sydney, 239. 242, 

243, 272-273, 295, 297, 364, 
368, 372, 388. 

Smollett, Tobias, 201, 203, 

213, 214, 215, 230, 231. 
Snoxv-Bound, 432, 444. 

Society for the Preservation of 
the Irish Language, 381. 

Society and Solitude, 440. 

Sohrao and Rustum, 285. 

Soliloquia, 52. 

Solitary Reaper, The, 245. 

Somme des Vices et des Vertus, 
75. 

Song, denned, 2. 
Song of Trust, 325. 
Songs, by Burns, 226, 227, 
230. 

Songs, by Campbell, 253, 255. 
Songs, by Tennyson, 261, 262. 
Songs and Sonnets, by Howard, 

138, 139, 159. 
Songs Before Sunrise, 291. 
Sonnet, denned, 3. 
Sonnet, Introduction of, 140, 

158. 

Sonnets, by Coleridge, 245. 
Sonnets, by the De Veres, 405. 
Sonnets, by Milton, 181, 187. 
Sonnets, by Shakespeare, 169, 
172. 

Sonnets, by Tennyson, 261. 
Sonnets, by Wordsworth, 243, 

244, 245. 

Sonnets from the Portuguese, 

267, 289, 297. 
Sordello, 265. 
South Sea Bubble, 199. 

SOUTHERNE, THOMAS, 198, 348. 

Southey, Robert, 244, 247- 
248, 297, 378. 

Southwell, Robert, 142-144, 
158, 159. 



480 



INDEX. 



Spalding, Martin John, 31, 
67, 177. 438, 439, 444, 445. 
Spanish Gypsy, The, 280. 
Speakers of English, 11. 

Speckled Book, 316, 320, 332, 
333. 

Spectator, The (daily), 202, 
209, 210, 231, 350, 351, 365, 
366. 

Spectator, The (weekly), 243. 

Speculum Mcditantis, or Spec- 
ulum Ho m in is, 99. 
Speech, defined, 6. 

Speeches, bv Burke, 358, 359, 
' 366. 

Speeches, by Curran, 362, 363, 

364, 366. 
Speeches, by Grattan, 6, 362, 

363, 366. 
Speeches, by Henry, 420, 421. 

Speeches, by O'Connell, 6, 391, 

392, 412. 
Speeches, by Sheil, 391, 392. 

Speeches, by Sheridan, 361, 

362, 366. 
Speeches, by , Webster, 6, 430, 

444. 

Speeches on the Catholic Ques- 
tion, 363. 

Spexcer, Herbert, 240, 243. 

Spenser, Edmund, 91, 98, 
117, 125, 138, 144-149, 158, 
159, 245, 312, 378. 

Spenserian Stanza, 148, 252, 
254, 257, 258. 

Spirit-Rapper, The, 442. 

Spiritual Conferences, 274. 

Spy, The, 425, 444. 

St. Patrick's College, May- 
nooth, 343. 

St. Patrick's Day, 5. 

St. Paul and Protestantism, 
285. 

St. Peter's Complaint, 143. 
St. Thomas of Canterbury, 406. 
"Staff of Jesus," 311. 
Stanyhurst, Richard, 160, 

314, 346. 
Stanza, defined, 2. 



Stanzas from the Grande 

Chartreuse, 286. 
Star-Spangled Banner, The, 2. 
Statius, 100, 118. 
Statute of Kilkenny, 310, 311, 

315, 336. 
Steele, Sir Richard, 210, 348, 

349, 350, 351, 365, 366. 
Sterne, Laurence, 348, 349, 

353-354, 365, 366. 
Sternhold and Hopkins, 346. 
Stevenson, Robert Louis, 

281, 430. 
Stones of Venice, 282, 284, 

296, 297. 
Stonyhurst College, 392. 
Storer, Thomas, 160. 
Storie of Thebes, 117, 118,119. 
Story of Gladstone's Life, 410. 
Stow, John, 160. 
Strachey, William, 415. 
Strafford 264, 266. 
Strode, Radulph, 78. 
Strongbow, 307, 309. 
Stubbs, William, 243. 
Studies in Prose and Poetry, 

292, 297. 
Study of Celtic Literature, 

285, 320, 337. 
Study of Shakespeare, 292. 
Sublime and Beautiful, 358. 
Sullivan, Timothy Daniel, 

402. 

Summa Theologian, 64. 
Summer Sight, 285. 
Surnames, Irish, 306, 335, 399. 
Suspiria de Profundis, 261. 
Sweet Saviour! Bless Us Ere 

We Go, 275. 
Swift, Jonathan, 153, 224, 

338, 348, 349, 351-353, 365, 

366, 408. 
Swinburne, Algernon Chas., 
* 232,^242, 257, 259, 291-292, 

295, 297, 430. 
Sylla, 388, 390. 
Sylvester, Josua, 160. 

Tablet, The, 243. 

Tain Bo Cualgne, 334, 337. 



INDEX. 



481 



Tain Bo Cualgne, translated 

by Dunn, 334. 
Tale of a Tub, 351, 352. 
Tale of Two Cities, 1, 277. 
Tales, by Poe, 445. 
Tales from Shakespeare, 260. 
Tales of a Wayside Inn, 427. 
Tales of My Neighborhood, 

388. 

Tales of the Hunster Festivals, 
388. 

Tales of the O'Hara Family, 

388, 389. 
Tamburlaine the Great, 140, 

141. 

Tarn o' Shanter, 226. 
Tara, 300, 386. 

Tarquin and Lucrece, 169, 172. 
Task, The, 228. 
Tasso, 5, 187, 245. 
Tate, Nahum, 346, 347. 
Tatler, The, 202, 209, 350, 351, 
366. 

Taylor, Jeremy, 198. 
Temora, 325. 
Tempest, The, 416. 
Temple, Sir William, 198. 
Tennyson, Lord, 83. 91. 122, 

232, 242, 261-264, 295, 297, 

428, 430. 
Tenth Muse Lately Sprung up 

in America, 416. 
Tertullian, 442. 

Thackeray, William Make- 
peace, 7, 232, 242, 250, 277- 
278, 279, 280, 296, 297, 378- 
379. 

Thalaba, 247. 

Thanatopsis, 432, 444. 

The Harp that Once Through 
Tara's Halls, 386, 403. 

Theatres closed, 167. 

Thebais, 118. 

Theodore, St., 31, 56. 

Theological Writings, by More, 
151, 154. 

Theory of Vision, 355. 

Thomas A Becket, St., 59, 
94, 127, 309. 



Thomas Aquinas, St., 64, 69, 
375. 

Thomas Bek of Castleford, 

73, 74, 86. 
Thompson, Francis, 293-294. 

297. 

Thomson, James, 204, 231. 
Thought on Calvary, 395. 
Thrissil and the Bois, 136, 137. 
Thyrsis, 286. 

Ticknor, George, 405, 436. 

Tighe, Mary Blachford, 366. 

Tighernach, 328, 337. 

Times, The, 202, 243. 

Tithe Proctor, The, 401. 

Tithe War, 372. 

To a Mountain Daisy, 227. 

To a Snoioflake, 294. 

To a Waterfowl, 432. 

To Mary in Heaven, 228. 

To the Cuckoo, 245. 

To the Rainbow, 256. 

Toland, John, 348. 

Tom Jones, 213, 214, 231. 

Tom Sawyer, 443, 445. 

Tone, Theobald Wolfe, 366. 

Topographical and Historical 

Poem, 327, 399. 
Tour in Both Hemispheres, 6. 
Tourneur, Cyril, 198. 
Town of the Cascades, 389. 
Townley, James, 5. 
Toxophilus, 155, 156, 159. 
Tracts, by Wyclif, 105. 
Tragedy, defined, 4. 
Tragical History of Dr. Faus- 

tus, 140, 141. 
Tragi-Comedy, defined, 4. 
Traits and Stories of the Irish 

Peasantry, 400. 
Translation of Don Quixote, 

by Smollett, 213. 
Translation of Gil Bias, by 

Smollett, 213. 
Translation of Homer, by Cow- 

per, 226, 229. 
Translation of Homer, by Pope, 

205, 208. 



482 



INDEX. 



Translation of the Bible, by 
Wyclif, 105, 107. 

Translation of Virgil, by Dry- 
den, 192, 196. 

Translations, by George Eliot, 
279, 280. 

Translations, by Longfellow, 
427, 428. 

Translations, by MacCarthv, 
404, 405. 

Translations, by MacHale, 402, 
403. 

Traveller,, The, 357. 

Travels, defined, 6. 

Treasure Trove, 399. 

Treatise on the Blessed Sac- 
rament, 65. 

Trinity College, Dublin, 320, 
321, 326, 339, 351, 354, 355, 
356. 358, 362, 363, 376, 386, 
392, 393, 397, 398, 406, 408. 

Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, 
331. 

Triplet, defined, 2. 

Tristram Shandy, 353, 354. 

365, 366. 
Tristram and Iseult, 285. 
Tristram of Lyonesse, 291, 

297. 

Triumph of Life, 257. 
Trivium, 67. 

Troilus and Creseyde, 92, 97, 

98, 99. 
Trojan War, 84. 
Trollope, Anthony, 7. 
Troy-Book, 117, 118, 119. 
True Relation, 415. 
True Reportory, 415-416. 
True Story of the Vatican 

Council, 286. 
Trumbull, John, 419, 420, 

421. 

Turgesius, 388, 390. 

Tusser, Thomas, 160. 

Twa Dogs, 226. 

Two Paths, 282. 

Two Poets of Croisic, 265. 

Tyndale, William, 160. 

Tyndall, John, 240, 243. 



Udall, Nicholas, 160. 
Ulalume, 429. 
Uncle Toby, 354. 
United Netherlands, 435, 437. 
Universal Beauty, 353, 354. 
Unh ersities, Rise of. 68, 85, 
114. 

University Degrees, 69. 
University of Aberdeen, 113. 
University of Bologna, 68, 69, 
70, 86. 

University of Coimbra, 384. 
Universitv of Edinburgh, 249, 

265, 282, 395. 
University of Glasgow, 113, 

253, 254. 
University of Gottingen, 437. 
University of Padua, 68. 
University of Paris 5 , 61, 68, 

69, 70, 86. 

University of Pavia, 68, 383. 
University of Salamanca, 68, 

70, 86. 

University of St. Andrews, 
113. 

University of Virginia, 429. 
Unknown Eros, 292, 293. 
Unto This Last, 282. 
U. S. Bureau of Education, 
382. 

U. S. Catholic Miscellany, 438. 
Ussher, James, 302, 346. 
Utopia, 151, 152, 153-154, 159, 

180, 290. 
Utopia, translated by Robyn- 

son, 153. 
Utopian, 154. 

Valentine McClutchy, 400, 401. 

Vanity Fair, 277, 296, 297. 

Vanity of Human Wishes, 222. 

Vatican Council, 288, 439. 

Vatican Decrees and Civil Alle- 
giance, 286. 

Vaughan, Henri*, 198. 

Venus and Adonis, 169, 172. 

Vercelli Book, 45. 

Verne, Jules, 430. 

Verses on Various Occasions, 
286. 



INDEX. 



483 



Vetromile, E., 6. 

Vicar of Wakefield, 6, 349, 
356, 358, 366. 

View of Europe During the 
Middle Ages, 241, 268, 271. 

View of the State of Ireland, 
144, 148-141). 

Village Blacksmith, The, 428. 

Vincent of Beauvais, 100. 

Vindication of Catholic Prin- 
ciples, 383, 384. 

Virgil, 5, 31, 323. 

Virgin Martyr, 111. 

Vision of Sir Launfal, 440, 
441, 444. 

Vision of Sudden Death* 261. 

Vita Aethelwoldi, 54. 

Vittoria, 281. 

Volpone, or the Fox, 175. 

Vox Clamantis, 99. 

Voyage of St. Brendan, 405, 
412. 

Voyage Round the World, 6. 

Wace, Richard, 72, 74, 78. 
Wadding, Luke, 346. 
Waldhere, 34, 35. 
Wallace, W 7 illiam, 62. 
Waller, Edmund, 198. 
Walpole, Horace, Earl of 

Orford, 7, 79, 231. 
Walter Shandy, 354. 
Walton, Izaak, 167, 190, 192, 

197. 

Wanderer, The, 34, 35. 
Ward, Hugh, 346. 
Ward, William George, 235, 
243. 

Warner, Charles Dudley, 
443. 

Warner, William, 160. 

War of the Austrian Succes- 
sion, 199. 

War of 1812, 421. 

War of the Revolution, 415. 

War of the Spanish Succession, 
198, 211. 

Wars of the Danes with the 
Irish, 328. 



Wars of the Roses, 108, 109, 
114. 

War Songs, by Minot, 73, 76, 
86. 

Ware, Sir James, 346. 
Warton, Thomas, 66, 119, 

140, 209. 
Washington, George, 414, 

415, 419, 421. 
Waterdale Neighbours, 410. 
Waterloo, Battle of, 233, 237. 
Watson, Thomas, 160. 
Wat Tyler, 88. 
Waverley, 249, 251. 
Waverley Novels, 7, 241, 242, 

249, 250, 296, 297. 
We are Seven, 245. 
Wearmouth, 32, 58. 
Webbe, William, 160. 
Webster, Daniel, 6, 393, 430, 

431, 444. 
Webster, John, 198. 
Wedderburne, James, 160. 
Wedderburne, John, 160. 
Wedderburne, Robert, 160. 
Weekly News, 202. 
Welde, Thomas, 416. 

Wesen des Christenthums, 280. 
Westminster Abbey, 59,93,107. 

145, 175, 265, 361. 
Westminster Review, 242. 
West Point Military Academy, 

429. 

Whately, Richard, 241. 
Whetstone, George, 160. 
Whewell, William, 243. 
Whitby, 22, 32, 39, 40, 41, 58. 
White, Apostle of Maryland, 
414. 

White Doe of Rylstone, 243, 
245. 

White, Gilbert, 231. 
Whittier, John Greenleaf, 

432, 433, 444. 

Why God Was Made Man, 66. 
Widow Wadman, 354. 
Widsith, 34, 35. 
Wieland, 420. 



484 



IXDEX. 



Wife's Complaint, 34, 35, 36. 
Wiggles worth, Michael, 416. 
Wilkins, John, 198. 
William Blake, a Critical i?.?- 

say, 292. 
William the Conqueror. 15, 28, 

59, 60, 65, 66. 
William of Malmesbury, 74, 

79, 80, 81, 82, 86. 
William of Newburgh, 79. 
William of Palerne, 77. 
William of Wadington, 75. 
Williams, Richard Dalton, 

374, 377, 393, 395-396, 411, 

412. 

Williams College, 431. 
Willy Gilliland, 407. 
Willy Reilly, 341, 344, 400, 
401. 

Winchester, 53. 
Winter, 204. 
Winthrop, John, 416. 
Winzet, Ninian, 160. 
Wiseman, Nicholas Patrick, 

173, 235, 243, 274, 275, 276, 

288. 296, 297. 
Witch of Atlas, 256. 
Witenagemot, 60. 
Wither, George, 198. 



Wolfe, General, 200. 
Wolsey, Cardinal, 126, 127. 
Wordsworth, William, 3, 

1S7, 232, 242, 243-245, 256, 

275, 295, 297. 
Worthington, Thomas, 217. 
Wreck of the Hesperus, 428. 
Wulfstan, 33, 54-55, 58. 
Wyatt, Sir Thomas, 140, 158. 
w t ycherley, william, 198. 
Wyclif, John, 105, 107. 

Yale College, 425. 
Yankee in King Arthur's Court, 
443. 

Yarrow Unvisited, 245. 

Ye Mariners of England, 255. 

Yellow Book of Lecan, 320, 

332, 334. 
Yellow Ford, Battle of the, 

396. 

York, 32, 49, 54, 58, 353, 383. 
Young, Edward, 231. 
Young Ireland, 345. 
Young Ireland Party, 369, 373, 

394, 411. 
Youth and Age, 247. 

Zapolya, 246. 



A SHOET DICTIONARY 



BRITISH, IRISH, AND AMERICAN AUTHORS 



ABBREVIATIONS USED. 



I Ireland 

E England 

S Scotland 

U. S. United States 



C Catholic 

P Non-Catholic 

Lit .Literature 

Hist History 



(1) Poems. 



(2) Fiction. 



(3) Drama. 



Name. 


Date of 
Death. 


Country. 


Religion. 


Chief Work. 


Adam'nan, Saint... 


704 


I. 


C. 


Life of St. Columbkille. 


Addison, Joseph... 


1719 


E. 


P. 


Essays in the Spectator. 




c.1022 


E. 


C. 


Homilies. 


Akenside, Mark... 


1770 


E. 


P. 


Pleasures of the Imagina- 








tion. 1 


Alcuin (al'kwin) . . 


804 


E. 


C. 


Letters. 


Aldhelm, Saint. . . 


709 


E. 


c. 


The Praise of Virginity. 


Aldrich, Thos. B.. 


1907 


U. S. 


p. 


Poems. 


Alfred the Great. 


901 


E. 


c. 


Translations. 


Alison, Archibald. 


1867 


E. 


p. 


History of Europe. 


Allibone, S. Austin 


1889 


U. S. 


p. 


Dictionary of Authors. 


Allies, Thomas W. 


1869 


E. 


c. 


Formation of Christen- 










dom. 


Allingham, Wm. . . . 


1889 


I. 


p. 


Poems. 


Allston, Wash'ton. 


1843 


U. S. 


p. 


Poems. 


Amory, Thomas . . . 


1788 


I. 


p. 


Life of John Buncle 2 


Ar'buthnot, John . . 


1734 


s. 


p. 


History of John Bull. 2 


Arnold, Matthew . 


1888 


E. 


p. 


Essays in Criticism. 


Arnold, Rev. Thos. 


1842 


E. 


p. 


Lectures on Modern Hist. 


Arnold, Sir Edwin. 


1904 


E. 


p. 


The Light of Asia. 1 


Arnold, Thomas . . . 


1900 


E. 


c. 


Manual of English Lit. 


Ascham, Roger . . 


1569 


E. 


p. 


The Scholemaster. 




1851 


U. S. 


p. 


Birds of America. 


Austen, Jane 


1817 


E. 


p. 


Pride and Prejudice. 2 


Austin, Alfred... 


1913 


E. 


c. 


Poems. 


Avebury, Lord .... 


1913 


E. 


p. 


The Origin of Civilisation. 


AzarI'as Brother. . 


1893 


TJ. S. 


c. 


Development of Eng. Lit. 




1626 


E. 


p. 


Essays. 


Bacon, Roger .... 


1292 


E. 


c. 


Opus Ma jus.* 



* It is written in Latin, as the title implies. 



486 



A SHORT DICTIONARY OF 



Name. 



O EH 



o. 



Chief Woek. 



Bagehot, Walter. 

Bale, John 

Baillie, Joanna . 
Bancroft, George 
Ban'im, John . . . 
Banim, Michael . 
Barbour, John . . 
Barclay, Alexander 
Barclay, John . . 
Barnes, Barnabe. 
Barnfield, Richard 

Barrington, Sir J. 

Baxter, Richard . . 
Bayley,Archbishop 
Bayly, Thomas II. 
Beattie, James ... 
Beaumont, Fran.* . 
Beckford, William 
Bede, Saint 

Bellenden, John. . 
Bentham, Jeremy.. 



Berington, Rev. J. 

Berkeley, George. 

Berners, Juliana. . 
Berners, Lord .... 

blckerstaffe, isaac 
Black, William . . 
Blackmore, Rich- 
ard Doddridge 



1877 
1563 
1851 
1891 
1842 
1874 
1396 
1552 
1621 
1609 
1627 

1834 

1691 
1877 
1839 
1803 
1616 
1844 
735 

c.1570 
1832 



1827 
1753 

c.1470 

1533 

c.1812 
1898 

1900 



E. 
E. 
S. 
TJ. S. 
I. 
I. 
S. 

s. 
s. 

E. 
E. 

I. 

E. 

u. s. 

E. 
S. 
E. 
E. 
E. 

S. 
E. 



E. 
I. 



E. 
E. 



The English Constitution. 
Plays. 

Plays on the Passions. 
History of the TJ. S. 
The Boyne Water. 2 
Father Connell. 2 
The Bruce. 1 
The Ship of Fools. 1 
A rgenis. 
Parthenophil. 1 
The Affectionate Shep- 
herd. 1 

Rise and Fall of the Irish 

Nation. 
Call to the Unconverted. 
Life of Bishop Brute. 



The Minstrel. 1 

Dramas. 

Vathelc. 2 

Ecclesiastical History of 
the English Nation.-f 

Cronihlis of Scotland. 

Introduction to the Prin- 
ciples of Morals and 
Politics. 

Literary History of the 
Middle Ages. 

Alciphron, or the Minute 
Philosopher. 

The Soke of St. Albans. 

Translation of The Chron- 
icles of Froissart. 

The M aid of the Mill. 3 

Princess of Thule. 2 

Lorna Doone. 2 



* Francis Beaumont, 1586-1616, and John Fletcher, 1576-1625, 
vvere literary partners ; hence their names generally appear to- 
gether. They wrote fifty-two plays. Beaumont and Fletcher 
rank among the famous dramatists of the days of Shakespeare, 
but their productions bear the marks of vice and grossness. 

t "Thus much of the Ecclesiastical History of Britain," says 
the Saint at the end of his great work, ' and more especially of 
the English nation, as far as I could learn from the writings of 
the ancients, or the traditions of our ancestors, or of my own 
knowledge, has, with the help of God, been digested by me, Bede, 
the servant of God and priest of the monastery of the blessed 
Apostles Peter and Paul, which is at Wearmouth and Jarrow.'^ 



BRITISH, IRISH, AND AMERICAN AUTHORS. 487 



Name. 



O H 

- 



Chief Wokk. 



Blackstone, Sir W. 
Blaine, James G. . 



Blair, Hugh 

Blake, William . . 
Bless ington, Lady 

Blind Harry 

Boece, Hector .... 

Boker, George H. . 

BOLINGBROKE, VIS- 
COUNT 

Boorde, Andrew... 

Boswell, James . . 
Boucicault, Dion.. 
Bowden, John E. . . 

Bower, Walter . . . 



Boyce, Rev. John.. 
Boyle, Robert . . . 
Bradstreet, Anne. 
Brady, Nicholas . . 

Breton, Nicholas . 
Brewster, Sir Day. 
Bronte, Charlotte 
Brooke, Arthur . . 

Brooke, Henry . . . 
Brougham, (broom) 

Lord 

Brown, Charles B. 
Brown, Thomas . . 

Browne, Sir Thos. 
Browne, William . . 
Browning, Robert. 
Browning, Mrs. E. 

B 

Brownson, Orestes 

A 

Bryant), William C. 
Bryant, John D.. . 



1780 

1893 

1800 
1827 
1849 
1492 
1536 

1890 

1751 
1549 

1795 
1890 
1871 

1449 



1868 
1691 
1672 
1726 

c.1626 
1868 
1855 
1563 

1783 

1868 
1810 
1820 

1682 
c.1643 
1889 

1861 

1876 
1878 
1877 



E. 

U. S. 

S. 
E. 
I. 
S. 

s. 
u. s. 

E. 
E. 

S. 
I. 
E. 

S. 



I. 
I. 

u. s. 
I. 

E. 

s. 

E. 
E. 

I. 

S. 

U. S. 

s. 

E. 
E. 
E. 

E. 

u. s. 

CT. S. 

u s. 



Commentaries on English 
Laiv. 

Twenty Years in Con- 
gress. 

Lectures on Rhetoric. 
Songs of Innocence. 
The Repealers. 2 
Wallace. 1 

History of Scotland (in 

Latin) . 
Dramas. 

Idea of a Patriot King. 

Boke of the Introduction 
of Knowledge. 

Life of Samuel Johnson. 

The Shaughraun. 3 

Life and Letters of Fa- 
ther Faber. 

Continuation of Fordun's 
Scotichronicon (in Lat- 
in). 

Shandy Maguire. 2 
Things Above Reason. 
The Four Elements. 1 
"New Version" of the 

Psalms (with Tate). 
Works of a Young Wit. 
Letters on Natural Magic. 
Jane Eyre. 2 

Tragical! Historye of 

Romeus and luliet. 1 
The Fool of Quality. 2 

Lives of Men of Letters. 
Arthur Mervyn. 2 
Lectures on Mental Phi- 
losophy. 
Religio Medici.* 
Britannia's Pastorals. 1 
The Ring and the Book. 1 

Aurora Leigh. 1 

The American Republic. 
Poems. 

Pauline Seward. 2 



* The Religion of a Physician. It is written in English. Be- 
sides giving Latin titles to his works. Dr. Browne went to an 
extreme length in loading his style with ponderous Latin words. 



488 



A SHORT DICTIONARY OF 



Name. 


Date of 
Death. 


Country. 


jRELIGION. 


Chief Work. 


J_> U CfcLAJN AIM, IjliiUKLrJi/ . 


1582 


S. 


P. 


jLllovuiy UJ foVU vLUfVU/ 










XJCt LXII J . 


X_) U I, ii Ii ii j XT ill IN XV X 










Tirn AT A <s 


1862 


E. 


P. 


T-Ti Q'tn'Vii rtf f~1i ii i li on firm iyi 
nvovuiy uj \j v v vvvoiJV v vu iv iiv 










E ngland.^ 


TT AT V A X T TOTTAJ 


1688 


E. 


P. 


rpJlP PlJ C1T1 111* Q P'mnfP<i<l 2 
x iixj i vvy i vnv o x i uyi c>oo. 


X > I XX XV Uj , 12J u 1\X U IN u % . 


1797 


I. 


P. 


7? pf\ ' pp'H.nvt q nM "TTip TPypunTi 

±Vt/Jt CO V VU 1 vo U IV VIVKj X 7 / K/lVlslV 










±\jXj U\J V W VVU IV . 


Burke Rev. Thcs. 










N 


1883 


I. 


c. 


T iPpfiiTPR finfi Fipwni on <? 

±JK/\yVHI t/O CtllVX AO O # lltU IVO . 


Burney Frances . 


1840 


E. 


P. 


\J KslyVVVU/. 


Burns, Robert 


1796 


S. 


p. 


Poems. 


Burton, Robert. . . 


1639 


E. 


p. 


Anatomy of Melancholy. 


Butler Rev. Alban 


1773 


E. 


c. 


TAiiPQ of flip Rn i i / nt<i 

J-J V V t/O U J VflXy KJLl VIV VO . 


Butler Charles 


1832 


E. 


c. 


TTi cftckifionl l\f Pin ni t'« t~ 


X> U X XjXj IX , *J yj o pj It XX -i. . . 


1752 


E. 


p. 


r P li o A tin! rtnii n~t T? pli mi nil 
x /i t/ /x ivu/t uy u uj j-i/Vi vy vu iv. 


Butler Samuel 


1680 


E. 


p. 


Tfiirlinvn e l 

XX 11 ti VU I tt o • 


Butler Samuel 


1902 


E. 


p. 


JJJ 1 XjVUIVUIV. 


J > 1 1 J i i o j !>XiA X XxxjXv • • • 


1788 


U. S. 


p. 


TTtint ni"nn q ~[/pi'QPq 

XZ lil/VUl UWO V CX OvO. 


Byron Lord 


1824 


E. 


p. 


Pn PYYI Q 


Cable George W. . 


1907 


U. S. 


p. 


Old (Jv€ole Days. 


v iVj it .vi yj x\ ^ i\cL\A 1 1 1 uix / 


680 


E. 


c. 


Pn Pwi q 

1 U Xj II Vo . 


Oat-ttt,t, Rthv T»r T» 

V/X1.XX XXjXj, XV 1 J V . J_/tv, X / . 










w 


1864 


I. 


c. 


L/ettcvs 9,nd Lectuves . 


ii. 1 j XX \J U xN j «J IX XX IN . 


1850 


U. S. 


p. 


fUti f»£>r>Ti pq 

to 'jKjXjXjIVKiO . 


(~°* A AT T* T> "n' AT ' Q T C T^l T 
V_,A JlliltriiN olOj vjr X 










DAT 't~»tt a 


1220 


E. 


c. 


x o [Juy i u \j ii vUj -Liiuvt /intj.g 


Camden, William . 


1623 


E. 


p. 


Britannia. 


Campbell, George . 


1796 


S. 


p. 


Philosophy of Rhetoric. 


Campbell, Thomas. 


1844 


s. 


p. 


Poems. 


Cap grave, John . . . 


1464 


E. 


c. 


Chronicle of England. 


Carew, Richard . . 


1620 


E. 


p. 


Godfrey of Bulloigne, or 








the Recoverie of Hie- 










rusalem 1 (translation of 










Tasso's Gerusalemme 










Liherata). 



* An infidel work, written in brilliant English. The logic 
falls far short of the rhetoric. It is incomplete. 

f The full title is, "Historical Memoirs of the English, Irish, 
and Scottish Catholics since the Reformation." It is in four 
volumes. 

t A great thinker, but a very poor writer. 

§ Description of Ireland. It is written in Latin. Giraldus 
Cambrensis signifies Gerald of Wales, for he was a Welshman. 
His real name was Gerald Barry. He was a slanderer of Ire- 
land and the Irish people, and a very inaccurate writer. For in- 
stance, he informs his readers that Ireland's greatest river, the 
Shannon, discharges itself into the North Sea. 



BRITISH, IRISH, AND AMERICAN AUTHORS. 489 



Name. 



C EH 



Eh 

D 
O 



Chief Work. 



Carey, Henry C. . 

Carey, Matthew . . 
Carleton, William 
Carlyle, Thomas . 

Cary, Alice 

Cavendish George 
Caxton, Will r am 
Centlivre, Susan- 
nah . . 

Challoner, Risiiop 
Chalmers, Rev. Dr 

T 

Chamberlayne, Wm. 
Chambers,, Robert. 

Chambers, Wm. . . . 

Chapman, George . 
Chattertox, Thos.t 
Chaucer, Geoffrey 
Cherry, Andrew . . 
Chesterfield, Earl 

of 

Chettle, Henry . . 

Churchill, C 

Clarendon, Earl of 

Clay, Henry 

Clemens, Sam'l L.t. 
Cobbett, William.. 
Coffey, Charles . . 
Coleridge, Sam'l T. 



1879 

1839 
1869 
1881 
1871 
;.1562 
1491 

1723 

1781 

1847 
1689 
1871 

1883 

1634 
1770 
1400 
1812 

1773 
1607 
1764 
1674 

1852 
1910 
1835 
1745 
1834 



U. S- 

I. 
I. 

s. 
u. s. 

E. 
E. 



E. 

s. 

E. 
S. 

s. 

E. 
E. 
E. 
I. 

E. 
E. 
E. 
E. 

U. S. 

u. s. 

E. 
I. 
E. 



Discourses, 
of English 



Principles of Political 

Economy. 
Ireland Vindicated. 
The Poor Scholar. 2 
The French Revolution. 
Poems. 

Life of Cardinal Wolscy. 
The History of Troy. 

A Bold Stroke for a 
Wife. 3 

Memoirs of Missionary 

Priests. 
Astronomical 
Pharonnida. 1 
Cyclopaedia 

Literature. 
Things as they are in 

America. 
Translation of Homer * 
Poems. 

The Canterbury Tales} 
The Bay of Biscay, and 

other Songs. 
Letters. 
Hoffmann* 
Rosciad. 1 

History of the Great R< 
hellion. 

Speeches. 

Tom Sawyer? 

Hist. of the Reformation .% 

The Devil to Pan? 

Rime of the Ancient Mar- 
iner. 1 



* This was the first English translation of Homer. "Chap- 
man's Homer still survives," says Hart, "and is even now 
good repute, and is preferred by 'many ^to that of Pope." 

f Chatterton died in his eighteenth year. He is the youngest 
author holding a place in English Letters; but lie was an 
erratic and unfortunate genius. 

t He is better known by the nom de plume of "Mark Twain." 
He was for some time a steam-boat pilot on the Mississippi ; 
hence the name "Mark Twain," which means two fathoms. 

§ The full title of the work is, A History of the Reformation 
in England and Ireland, in a Series of Letters. The letters, 
sixteen in number, were written in 1824, 1825, and 1S26. The 
volume is one that will well repay a careful perusal. It is 
among the best specimens of vigorous idiomatic English that ap- 
peared during the nineteenth century. 



490 



A SHORT DICTIONARY OF 



Name. 



O H 

5° 



O 



Chief Wokk. 



Colgan, Rev. John. 
Collier, Jeremy . . 



Collins, William. 
Collins, William. 
C o l m a n, George, 

the Elder 

C o l m a n, George, 

the Younger . . . 
Congreve, William 
Constable, Henry . 

COLUMBKILLE (ko- 

lumkill'), Saint. 

CONYNGHAM, D. P.. 

Cooke, John E . . . . 
Cooper, James F. . 

COVERDALE, MlLES . . 

Cowley, Abraham*. 
Cowper, William . . 
Crabbe, George . . . 
Craik, George L. . . 

Craik, Mrs. D. M. 

Crashaw, Rev. R. . . 

Creasy, E. S., Sir. 

Croker, John Wil- 
son 

Croker, Thomas 
Crofton 

Croly, Rev. Dr. 

Geo 

Cudworth, Ralph . 

Cunningham, Allan 
Cunningham, John 
Curran, John P... 
Curtis, George W. . 
Cynewulf 



Dalgairns, Rev. B . 
J 



1658 
1726 



1889 
1759 

1794 

1836 
1730 
1613 

597 
1883 
1886 
1851 
1569 
1667 
1800 
1832 
1866 

1887 
1649 
1878 

1857 

1854 



1860 
1688 

1842 
1773 
1817 
1892 
c. 800 



1876 



I. 
E. 



I. 

E. 

E. 

E. 
E. 
E. 

I. 
I. 

U. S. 
U. S. 

E. 

E. 

E. 

E. 

S. 

E. 
E. 
E. 

I. 

I. 



I. 
E. 

S. 
I. 
I. 

u. s. 

E. 



E. 



Lives of the Irish Saints. 

Short View of the Im- 
morality of the Eng- 
lish Stage. 

Poems and Songs. 

Poems. 

Dramatic Works. 

Numerous Plays. 

Comedies. 

Diana. 1 

Poems. 

Lives of the Irish Saints. 
The Virginia Comedians. 2 
The Spy. 2 

Translation of the Bible. 

Poems. 

Poems. 

Poems. 

Hist, of the English Liter- 
ature and Language.^ 
John Halifax, Gentleman. 2 
Poems. 

The Fifteen Decisive Bat- 
tles of the World. 

Reviews. 

Fairy Legends and Tra- 
ditions of the South of 
Ireland. 

Salathiel. 2 

True Intellectual System 

of the Universe. 
Poems. 
Songs. 
Speeches. 

The Potiphar Papers. 
Elene. 1 



The Holy Communion — 
its Philosophy, Theol- 
ogy, and Practice. 



* "Abraham Cowley," says Hart, "was accounted in his day 
the greatest of English poets. This verdict has long since been 
reversed." 

f This is one of the very best works on the subject. Craik 
was a sound, learned critic. 



BRITISH, IRISH, AND AMERICAN* AUTHORS. 491 









O 




Name. 




ount: 


2 


Chief Wobk. 






o 


03 





Dampier, William . 
Da'na, Richard H 
Jr 



Dana, James D. . . 
Daniel, Samuel . 



Darwin, Charles R. 
Dav'enant, Sir W. . 
Davis, John 

Davis, Thomas O. . 
Davy, Sir Humphry 

De Foe, Daniel. . . 
Dekker, Thomas . . . 
Denham, Sir John. 
De Quincey, Thos. 

Derby, Earl of.... 
Dermody, Thomas . . 
Desmet', Rev. P. J., 
S. J 

Devas, C. S 

De Vere, Aubrey . . 

De Vere, Edward. 
Earl of Oxford.. 

De Vere, Sir A. . . . 

De Vere, M. S 

Dickens, Charles. 

Digby, Kenelm H. 

Dillon, Wentw'th, 
Earl of Roscom- 
mon 

Disraeli (diz-ra'el 
ee), Benjamin*. 

Disraeli, Isaac . , 

Dixon, Archbishop 



1715 


E. 


1882 


U. S. 


1895 


u. s. 


1619 


E. 


1882 
1668 
1605 


E. 
E. 
E. 


1845 
1829 


I. 
E. 


1731 
.1637 
1669 
1859 


E. 
E. 
I. 
E. 


1869 
1802 


E. 
I. 


1872 


Belg. 


1906 


E. 


1902 


I. 


1604 
1846 
1898 
1870 
1880 


E. 
I. 

Swed. 
E. 
E. 


1684 


I. 


1882 
1848 
1866 


E. 
E. 
I. 



p 



Voyage Round the World. 

Tivo Years Before tin 
Mast. 

Geological Story Brie tin 
Told, 

History of the CiriJ Wars 
Between York and Lan- 
caster. 1 

Origin of Species. 

Gondibert, 1 

The Worldes Hydrograph- 
ical Discription. 

Poems and Essays. 

Last Days of a Philos- 
opher. 

Robinson Crusoe. 2 

Dramas. 

Cooper's Hill. 1 

Confessions of an Opium 
Eater. 

Translation of Homer. 

The Harp of Erin.' 

Indian Letters anil 

Sketches. 
The Key to the World's 

Progress. 
Poems and Dramas. 

Poems. 
Dramas. 

Studies in English. 
David Copper jiel<l: : 
The Ages of Faith. 



Poems. 
Endymion- 

Curiosities of Literature A 
Introduction to the 8a 
cred Scriptures. 



* Afterwards Lord Beaconsfield. A vein of scandal runs 
through nearly all his fictions. 

t A curious work indeed, but in many respects a bad, bigoted 
production. The elder Disraeli had a hearty hatred of every 
thing Catholic, as is proved by many of the lying "Curiosities 
which he so carefully gathered together. 



32 



492 



A SHORT DICTIONARY OF 





& W 




o 




Name. 


O H 


EH 


o 


Chief Work. 






D 
O 


13 

H 




Q 


u 






Dodd, Rev. Charles 


1745 


E. 


c. 


Church Hist, of Eng.* 




1631 


E. 


p. 


Poems. 


Dorsey, Mrs. Anna 










H 


1896 


TJ. S. 


c. 


The Flemings. 2 


Douglas, Gavin . . . 


1522 


S. 


c. 


Translation of Virgil. 1 


Dowden, Edward. . 


1913 


I. 


p. 


Shakspere, His Mind and 








Art. 




1834 


I. 


c. 


Letters on the State of 








Ireland. 


Drake, Joseph R.f. . 


1820 


u. s. 


p. 


The Culprit Fay. 1 


Drayton, Michael. 


1631 


E. 


p. 


Polyolbion^t 


Drennan, William 


1820 


I. 


p. 


Fugitive Pieces. 1 


Drummond, Wm.. . . 


1649 


s. 


p. 


Poems. 


Dryden, John .... 


1700 


E. 


c. 


Absalom and Achitophel* 


Dufferin, Lord . . 


1902 


I. 


p. 


Letters from High Lati- 








tudes. 


Duffy, Sir Charles 












1903 


I. 


c. 


Young Ireland. 


Dunbar, William . 


1530 


S. 


c. 


Dance of the Seven Dead- 








ly Sins 1 


Dunstan, Saint. . . 


988 


E. 


c. 


Concord of Monastic 


Duyckinck (di-kink) 








Rules. 


E. A 


1878 


U. S. 


p. 


Cyclopaedia of American 










Literature. 


Dyer, Sir Edward. 


1607 


E. 


p. 


My Mynde to Me a Kyng- 










dome is 1 


Earle, John 


1665 


E. 


p. 


Microcosmographie. 


Edgeworth, Maria. 


1849 


E. 


p. 


Tales and Novels. 


Edwards, Jonath.§ . 


1758 


U. S. 


p. 


On Freedom of the Will. 


"el'iot, George" || . . 


1880 


E. 


p. 


The Mill on the Floss. 2 



* A valuable work on which Father Dood is said to have spent 
thirty years. It was written in reply to the Protestant his- 
torian Burnet. 

t On the death of Drake Halleck wrote the beautiful poem be- 
ginning with the oft-quoted stanza : 

"Green be the turf above thee, 
Friend of my better days ! 
None knew thee but to love thee, 
Nor named thee but to praise." 
$ The Polyolbion is a poetical ramble over all England and 
fill's thirty ponderous books. 

§ He was a learned Calvinistic minister. 

|| "George Eliot" is the nom de plume of the late Mrs. Cross. 
Her maiden name was Mary Ann or Marian Evans. She was a 
woman of uncommon genius, and her works of fiction show great 
power, originality, mental grasp, and high artistic finish. Un- 
happily, however, she belonged to the rationalistic school of 
writers. Mrs. Cross was an admiring disciple of Herbert 
Spencer. 



BRITISH, IRISH, AND AMERICAN AUTHORS. 493 



. Name. 



O H 

5° 



O 



Chief Wokk. 



Elyot, Sir Thomas 
Emerson, Ralph W 
England, Bishop. . 

Eriugena, John S. . 

Etherege, Sir Geo. 
Eusden, Laurence. 
Evelyn, John .... 
Everett, Edward . . 
Exeter, Joseph of. 

Faber, Rev. Dr. F. 

W 

Fabyan, Robert. . . 



1546 
1882 
1842 

877 

1691 
1730 
1706 
1865 
1200 



Falconer, William 
Faraday, Michael. 
Farquhar, George. 
Ferguson, Sir Saml. 
Fergusson, Robert 
Fielding, Henry 
Filmer, Sir Robert 
Fisher, Bishop. . . 
Fitzgerald, Edward 

Fitzpatrick, W. J 

Fletcher, Giles . . . 

Fletcher, John* . . 
Fletcher, Phineas 

Ford, John 

Ford, Mrs. A. 

("Una") 

Fordun, John .... 
Forster, John . . . 
Fortescue, Sir Jno 



Foxe, John 

Francis, Rev. Phil, 
Francis, Sir Phil 
Franklin, Ben.t.. . . 
Fredet, Rev. Dr. . . 
Freeman, Edward A. 

Freneau, Philip... 



1863 
1513 

1769 
1867 
1707 
1886 
1774 
1754 
1653 
1535 
1883 

1895 

1623 

1625 
1650 
c.1656 

1876 
c.1385 

1875 
c.1476 



1587 
1773 
1818 
1 790 
1856 
1892 

1832 



E. 
U. S. 
I. 

I. 

E. 
E. 
E. 
U. S 
E. 



E. 
E. 

S. 
E. 
I. 
I. 
S. 
E. 
E. 
E. 
E. 



E. 
E. 
E. 

I. 
S. 
E. 
E. 



E. 
I. 
I. 

U. S. 
F. 
E. 

u. s. 



The Qovernour. 
Representative Men. 
Essays and Discourses 

(in 5 vols.). 
On the Division of Na- 

The Man of Mode? 

Poems. 

Diary. 

Orations and Speeches. 
The Trojan War. 



All for Jesus. 

New Chronicles of Eng- 
land and France. 

The Shipwreck. 1 

Chemistry of a Candle. 

Dramas. 

Congal. 1 

Poems. 

Tom Jones. 2 

Patriarcha. 

Sermons and Letters. 

Translation of 'Omar 
Khayyam. 1 

Life and Times of Bishop 
Doyle. 

Christ's Victorie and Tri- 
umph. 1 
Dramas. 

The Purple Island? 
The Broken Heart. 9 

Poems. 

Scotichronieon (in Latin). 

Life of Goldsmith. 

The Difference Between 

an Absolute <md Lim 

ited Monarchy. 
The Hook of Martins. 
Translations. 
Letters of Junius. 
. I utobiograph y. 
\ neieni and M o<h vu Hist, 
History of the Sonnan 

Conquest of England. 
Poems. 



* See note on Beaumont, Francis. 



494 



A SHORT DICTIONARY OJ 1 



Name. 


Date of 
Death. 


Country. 


Religion. 










A.* 


1894 


E. 


P. 


FulleRj Thomas . . . 


1661 


E. 


P. 


T^I 'T,X FT?TO\ T A nv n 


1885 


E. 


C. 


flAT TiTT'7TY Rrv T) 

VT xx 1 j I X Zj 1 ^ > ^ IA > * J_/ . 










1840 


Rus. 


C. 




1577 


E. 


P. 




1732 


E. 


P. 




1794 


E. 


P. 


Gifford, William. 


1826 


E. 


P. 


Gil'das, Saint .... 


565 


S. 


c. 


C-r T T f <s T-T rvT?v 


1882 


I. 


p. 




1895 


E. 


p. 


Godwin, Parke. . . . 


1904 


U. S. 


p. 


Godwin, William . . 


1836 


E. 


p. 


Goldsmith, Oliver 


1774 


I. 


p. 


Good, John Mason 


1827 


E. 


p. 


Gosson, Stephen. . 


1624 


E. 


p. 


Gother, Rev. John 


1704 


E. 


c. 


Gower, John 


1408 


E. 


c. 


Grattan, Henry . . . 


1820 


I. 


p. 


Gray,, Thomas .... 


1771 


E. 


p. 


Greeley, Horace.. 


1872 


U. S. 


p. 


Green., George W.. 


1883 


E. 


p. 


Green, John R. . . . 


1883 


E. 


p. 



Chief Work. 



History of England. 
The Worthies of England. 
Too Strange not to be 
True. 2 

Defence of Catholic Prin- 
ciples. 

The Steele Glas. 1 

Beggars Opera. 

Decline and Fall of the 
Roman Empire. 

The Baviad. 1 

De Evcidio Britannia: A 

Lectures and Essays. 

Studies on Homer. 

Life of W. C. Bryant. 

Caleb Williams. 2 

The Deserted Village. 1 

The Book of Nature. 

The School of Abuse. 

A Papist Misrepresented 
and Represented. 

Confessio Amantis. 1 

Speeches. 

Elegy Written in a Coun- 
try Churchyard. 1 

Recollections of a Busy 
Life. 

Historical View of the 
American Revolution. 

History of the English 
People.% 



* Froude is a very unsafe authority. His style is elegant, but 
his statements are often so twisted and colored that they must 
be received with a wise caution. 

"When Mr. Froude is most inaccurate,'' says the historian 
Freeman, "when he is most thoroughly ignorant of the subject 
on which he writes, he still writes with an air of quiet confi- 
dence which is likely to take in all whose own studies have not 
qualified them to answer him. It is because the air of confi- 
dence is so quiet that it is so dangerous. Never, surely, did a 
false prophet succeed so thoroughly in putting on the outward 
garb of the true." — Contemporary Review, 18.78. 

Froude's History of England is in twelve volumes, and ex- 
tends from the fall of Wolsey to the death of Elizabeth. 

t In Latin. 

$ It is a work of great merit. 



BRITISH, IRISH, AND AMERICAN" AUTHORS. 495 



Name. 


Date of 
Death. 


Country. 


Religion. 


Chief Work, 


VjrxtrjUiiN Jcjj xv \ f r> x. i\ x . . . 


1 KOO 
LoaZ 


hi. 


P. 


Plays, Poems, and Tales. 


( 1. D nTT r T T XT' T T r f p 








J_jvJ rtu 13 1\ u u rv .... 




TjT 

Hi. 


T) 


i reatise on Monarch'!. 


Vjrrv 1 x 1 i? li> j Vj it, rt A i^u . . . 




T 
1. 


r\ 
L . 


x Atfe! o OlieyiaHS. 


f^-r> t q wriT n rT? tt Torres \\7 


1857 


U. S. 


p 


Prose Writers of America. 


vrK'J lhj IjrrjUKLriL. .... 


1 fi71 
lo ( 1 


Tf 
1j . 


i . 


The History of Greece. 


JrlAril ^ <jrlU-N , W Al . . . . 


lOOTt 


TP 




L/CLSXdrO/. 


TT itr'T ttyt T? t r< tt v t? r» 


lolo 


E. 


P. 


T7 ft i m ft oo 


TT att TT 1 r» tv7 Ann 


1547 


TT! 
hi. 


P. 


The Union of the J oJ)lt 










T^fitit i li p e ft f J 4i ii in v / vi' 

X'tt-f/flllCo IJ J Jjll/H U-l H I 










fin /7 A^ /i*! 1 Z* 

UllUi J ill h . 


TTatt Mr<5 S C 

XXALiX/, lUftO. IO. V^. • > . 


1 QC1 
lool 


1. 


P. 


Lights and Shadows of 










Irish Life. 


TTatt a at TTpyrv 

nn.L XjAiYi, XXll<-\KX ... 




Hz. 


i . 


Literature fo Europe. 


TT ATT P P TT TT T'P7 








f^l D TTTT XT TT 


1867 


TT C! 


P. 


poems . 


TT A AT TT TflM A T 

11 A AX 1L1UIM j A Lla » . . 


1804 


W. I. 


P, 


The Federalist. 


xxAAllXilU-N , ..A KL xirSJr. 


1571 


S. 


( !. 


Catechism. 


R a irrr tav Crn \\ T 
XJLAiM IL/lUiNj Jo IK V V . . 


1856 


S. 


P. 


T Of* "/"'II 4-£>Q fttl T ft ft If* SY)]/7 

xjoC'tu/eo uit lAiyti aim 










~\/T £>"tf1/f\ll II O-l ftQ 

jxL e lapiiyb^Lo. 


I— I A TT> T "\T fTA V Qrp T V f \ 

IxAKliNljrxUJN, J51-K JAU, 




Hi. 


r; 
1 , 


^Pi*q tioIq An f\f Vi'irAoir^'c 
X 1 <AI1!M a. L1UI1 Ul H>>1<> B 












TT a ddt ~\rri rp/AXT T a \i g 
XxAKKl (jt 1 ( )2< , J A.Uho 


1 CKT7 
ID i i 


TP 


1 1 
1 


f\fi0f1WI ft 

U ( \j U It It. 


xxAKx J LK, x\L\ . X iiUo. 


1 CQQ 


TT 




Metaphysics of the 


Harris, J oel Chand- 








Sch ool. 




1908 


u. s. 


c. 


Tl 'ii f*l f> 7?z>iiiiio 2 


TT A t> r n IT T? I> TT r fi 


1902 


u. s. 


p. 


T 11 f*lf ft ~f Tt? ft ft 1*1 M fl 11 111 11 

Li If L IV V J IX U(l 1 1 II (/ ' U III /I . 


TT accadta Tva T } I ^ 
XxAobAKU, J AU. 11. vi . 


1868 


u. s. 


c 


T i~ff> ft"f J I'f'li li li // utllli < 

L/Xje OJ /i. i III U \i . n Hi/ in*. 


TT A V TT O r 1 1 \' A 1 A DH1T\T 

XX A V hi K 1 I, IVIA K 1 1 A . . 


1887 


I. 


c. 


TTA o fftv it fif 7 vol fi ii il 
xx to vv I y uj l / l hi ti u . 


Hawes, Stephen . . 


c.1523 


E. 


c. 


T'lio T*tt i in o ftf I'lt'ii^iirr 1 
L llxj I II * 1 1 III i u 1 i itiif\iiii. 


TT 4 TtrnnTTrAO xTTTi "\T 


1864 


u. s. 


p. 


TTfinQo nf Hip Strri n 

Lllill'Stj UJ f/fo OCVvll 










Gables. 2 


Hay, Bishop Geo.. 


1811 


s. 


c. 


The Sin cere Christian* 


Haz'litt, William. 


1830 


E. 


i 5 


Lectures on the English 










Poets. 


Headley, J. T 


1897 


TT. S. 


p. 


Washington ami His din 


Hecker, Rev. Isaac 








erals. 


T 


1888 


u. s. 


c. 


Questions of the 8oUl. 


Helps, Sir Arthur 


1875 


E. 


p. 


Friends in Council. 


He mans, Mrs. Fe- 












1835 


E. 


p. 


Poems. 


HenrYj Patrick.. 


1799 


u. s. 


p. 


Speeches. 



* Grote was an English banker, but a marvel of Greek scholar 
ship. His History of Greece is a work of .mv:it power and 
originality. 

f The full title is. The Sincere Christian: Instruction in tin 
Faith of Christ, front the Written Word. It is a work <'i great 
excellence. 



496 



A SHORT DICTIONARY OP 



Name. 


Date of 
Death. 


Country. 


Religion. 


Chief Work. 


Henry the Min- 


















See Blind Harry. 


Henryson, Robert . 


c.1506 


S. 


C. 


Moral Fables of Aesop. 1 


Herbert, George . . 


1633 


E. 


P. 


The Temple. 1 


Herrick, Robert... 


1662 


E. 


P. 


Lyrics. 


Hewitt, Rev. A. F. . 


1887 


U. S. 


C. 


Life of Father Baker. 


Heywood, John .. . 


e.1580 


E. 


C. 


The Foure PP. 3 


Heywood, Thomas . 


c.1641 


E. 


P. 


A Woman Killed with 










Kindness. 3 


Hildreth, Richard 


1865 


U. S. 


P. 


History of the U. S. 


Hilliard, Geo. S. . . 


1879 


U S. 


P. 


Six Months in Italy 


HlLLHOUSE, JAS. A. 


1841 


U. S. 


P. 


Hadad 3 


Hobbes, Thomas . . . 


1679 


E. 


p. 


Leviathan. 


Hoby, Sir Thomas. 


1566 


E. 


P. 


Translation of Castigil- 








one's Cortegiano. 


Hoccleve, Thomas 


c.1425 


• E. 


C. 


The Regem ent of Princes. 1 


Hoffman, Chas. F. 


1884 


U. S. 


p. 


Knickerbocker Magazine 


HOLINSHED, RAPH- 










1580 


E. 


P. 


Chronicles of England, 










Scotland, and Ireland. 


Holland, Philemon 


1637 


E. 


p. 


Translations. 


Holland, |Sir Henry 


1873 


E. 


p. 


Recollections of Past Life. 


Holmes, Oliver W. 


1894 


U. S. 


p" 


Autocrat at the Break- 








fast Table. 2 


Hood. Thomas .... 


1845 


E. 


p. 


The Bridge of Sighs 1 


Hooker, Richard . . 


1600 


E. 


p. 


Ecclesiastical Polity. 


Hopkinson, J 


1842 


U. S. 


p. 


Hail, Columbia.* 


Howard, Blanche 








W 


1898 


U. S. 


p. 


Gnenn. 


Howard, Bronson.. 


1908 


ul si 




The Banker's Daughter. 3 


Howard, Henry, 










Earl of Surrey.. 


1547 


E. 


c. 


Poems. 


Howard, Jacob M. . 


1871 


U. S. 


p. 


Secret Journal of Em- 








press Josephine (Tran.) 


Howard, John .... 


1890 


E 


p. 


State of Prisons in Eng- 










land and Wales. 


Howarth, Ellen C. 


1899 


tl. s. 


p. 


'Tis But a Little Faded 






Flower. 


Howe, Henry .... 


1893 


u. s. 


p. 


Historical Collections of 










Ohio. 




1705 


E. 


p. 


The Blessedness of the 










Righteous. 


Howe, Joseph .... 


1873 


N. S. 


p. 


The Club. 


Howe. Julia Ward. 


1910 


u. s. 


p. 


Battle Hymn of the Re- 










public 


Howell, James . . . 


1666 


E. 


p. 


Familiar Letters. 


How itt, Mary 


1888 


E. 


c. 


Heir of Wast Wayland. 


Howitt, William . 


1879 


E. 


p. 


Student Life in Germany. 



* This patriotic song gives Hopkinson a place in literature. 



BRITISH, IRISH, AND AMERICAN AUTHORS. t91 



Name. 



O H 

5° 



O 



Chief Work. 



HugheSj Arch- 








bishop 


1864 


I. 


C. 


Hughes, Thomas . 


1896 


E. 


I \ 


Hume, Alexander. . 


1609 


S. 


P. 




1776 


s. 


P. 


Hunnis, William.. 


1597 


E. 


p. 


Hunt, Leigh 


1859 


E. 


P. 


Huntingdon, Henry 










1155 


E. 


c. 


Huntington, J. V. . 


1869 


IT. S. 




Hutcheson Francis 


1746 


I. 


p 


Huxley, Thomas H. 


1895 


E. 


p. 


Ingelow, Jean .... 


1897 


E 


j » 


INGERSOLL, CHAS. J. 


1862 


U. S. 


i\ 


Irving, Washington 


1859 


u. s. 


p. 


Ives, Dr. Levi S . . . 


1866 


IT. S. 


c. 


James I. of Scot- 










1437 


s. 


c. 


James VI. of Scot- 








land 


1625 


s. 


p. 


Jameson, iMrs. Anna 


1860 


I 




Jay, John 


1829 


IT. S. 


p. 


Jefferson, Thomas 


1826 


u. s 


p. 


Jeffrey, Lord .... 


1850 


s. 


p. 


Jerrold, Douglas.. 


1857 


E. 


p. 


Johnson, Dr. Sam'l 


1784 


E. 


p. 


Johnstone, Chas . . 


1800 


I. 


p. 




1637 


E. 


p. 


Joyce, Robert D. . . 


1883 


I. 


c. 




1782 


S. 


p. 


Kane, Dr. E. K 


1857 


u. s. 


p. 


Kane, Sir Robert. 


1900 


I. 


p. 


Kavanagh, Julia . . 


1878 


I. 


c. 


Keating, Geoffrey. 


1644 


I. 


c. 


Keats, John, 


■ 1820 


E. 


p. 


Ke'ble, Rev. John. 


1866 


E. 


p. 



Letters and Discourses 

(in 2 vols.). 
Tom Broicn's Sshool 

Days. 2 

Hymns, or Sacred Songs. 

History of England. 

A Handful of Jlom <<■ 

suckles. 1 
Poems. 

History of England. 
Rosemary. 2 

A System of Moral Phil 

osophy. 
Lay Sermons. 

Poems. 

Hist, of the War of 1812. 

Life and Voyages of Co- 
lumbus. 

Trials of a Mind in its 
Progress to Catholicism. 

The Kingis Quair? 

Basilicon Doron. 
Sacred and Legendary 
Art. 

The Federalist (in part). 
The Declaration of Tndt 

pendence. 
Essays in the "Edinburgh 

Review. 
Caudle Curtain -Lectures. 
Lives of the Poets, 
Chrysal, or the I <l r< n 

tares of a Guinea.* 
Epicoene, or tin Silent 

Woman.* 
Deirdre. 1 

Elements of Criticism, 
Account of His Arctic I'.r 

peditions. 
Resources of Ireland. 
Women of Ch ristiunit u. 
History of Ireland. 
Poems. 

The Christian Year.* 



* The full title is. The Christian Year: Thoughts 
the Sundays and Holydays throughout the Year. 



Vast In l 



498 A SHORT DICTIONARY OF 



Name. 


Date of 
Death. 


Country. 


Religion. 


Chief Work. 




1777 


I. 


P. 


False Delicacy. 3 


Kennedy,, J. P. ... 


1870 


U. S. 


P. 


Horse-Shoe Robinson. 2 


Kennedy, Quinttn . 


1564 


s. 


C. 


Disputation, with Knox. 


Kennedy, Walter.. 


c.1510 


s. 


C. 


Ane Ballot in Praise of 










Our Lady* 


Kent, James 


1847 


c. s. 


P. 


Commentaries on Ameri- 










can Law. 


Kenrick, Abp. P. R. 


1896 


I. 


c. 


The Holy House of Lor- 








etto. 


Ken rick,, Abp. P. F. 


1864 


I. 


c. 


Primacy of the Apostolic 








See. 


Key, Francis S.... 


1843 


u. s. 


p. 


Star-Spangled Banner. 1 


KlNGLAKE, A. W. . . 


1870 


E. 


p. 


Invasion of the Crimea. 


Kip, Bishop 


1872 


r. s. 


p. 


Early Jesuit Missions in 








North A m erica. 


Knowles, Jas. S. . . 


1862 


i. 


p. 


William Tell. 3 




1572 


s. 


p. 


Historie of the Reforma- 








tioun in Scotland. 


Kyd, Thomas 


c.1595 


E. 


p. 


Ti\e Spanish Tragedy 3 


Lamb, Charles . . . 


1834 


E. 


p. 


The Essays of Elia. 


Landor, Walter S . 


1864 


E. 


p. 


Imaginary Conversations. 


Langland, Wm .... 


14thc. 


E. 


c. 


The Vision of Piers Plow- 










man. 1 


Lanier, Sidney . . . 


1881 


U, S. 


p. 


Poems. 


Lanigan, Rey. Dr. 












1828 


I. 


c. 


Ecclesiastical History of 










Ireland 


Latimer, Hugh . • . 


1555 


E. 


p. 


Sermons. 


Layamon 


13 the. 


E. 


c. 


Brut. 1 


Layard, Austin H. 


1894 


E. 


p. 


Nineveh and its Remains. 


Lecky, Wm. E. H. . 


1903 


I. 


p. 


History of England in 










the Eighteenth Cen. 


Lee, Nathaniel. . . 


1692 


E. 


p. 


The Rival Queens. 3 


Leland, John .... 


1552 


E. 


p. 


The Itinerary. 


Leslie, Charles . . 


1722 


I. 


p. 


Short and Easy Method 










wit]) the Deists. 




1596 


S. 


c. 


History of Scotland. 


Leslie, Miss Eliza 


1857 


u. s. 


p. 


Mrs. Washington Potts. 2 


Le'yer, Chas. J. . . . 


1872 


I. 


p. 


Charles O'Malley 2 


Le Vert, Madame . . 


1877 


u. s. 


p. 


Souvenirs of Travel. 


Lindesay, Robert. 


c.1578 


s. 


p. 


History of Scotland. 


Lin'gard, Rey. Dr. 








J 


1851 


E. 


c. 


History of England. 


Locke, John ...... 


1704 


E. 


p. 


Essay on the Human Un- 










derstanding. 


Lockhart, John G. 


1854 


S. 


p. 


Memoirs of Sir Walter 










Scott. 


Lodge, Thomas . . . 


1625 


E. 


c. 


Rosalynde : Euphues Gol- 










den Legacie 2 


Lombard, Abp. 


1632 


I. 


c. 


Commentary on Irish His- 










tory. 



BRITISH, IRISH, AND AMERICAN AUTHORS. 199 



Name. 


Date of 
Death. 


Country. 


Religion. 


LONGFELLOWj HENRY 










1882 


U. S. 


P. 


Lossing, Benson J. 


1891 


IT. S. 


P. 


Lovelace,, Richard 


1658 


E. 


P. 


Lover, Samuel . . . 


1868 


I. 


P. 


Lo'well, James R. 


1891 


U. S. 


P. 


Lydgate, Father J. 


1451 


E. 


C. 


Lyell, Sir Charles 


1875 


E. 


P. 


Lyly, John 


1606 


E. 


P. 


LyncHj Bishop Jno. 


17thc. 


I. 


C. 


Lyndsay, Sir David 


1555 


S. 


c. 


Lysaght, Edward.. 


1811 


I. 


p. 




1873 


E. 


p. 


Macaulay, Lord . . 


1859 


E. 


p. 


McCarthy, Justin. 


1912 


I. 


c. 


MacCarthy, Denis 










1882 


I. 


c. 


M ACL ABE, WM. B.. 


1891 


I. 


c. 


MacCullinan, Cor- 










903 


I. 


c. 


Macgeoghegan , 










1 i .j0 


I. 


p. 


MacGill, Bishop.. 


1 872 


U. S 


c. 


MacHale, Abp. . . . 


1881 


I. 


c. 


Mackenzie, Henry . 


1831 


s. 


p. 


Mackenzie, Dr. R . 










1882 


I. 


p. 


Mackintosh, Sir J. 


1832 


s. 


p. 


Macklin Charles.. 


1797 


I. 


p. 


MACLEOD, KE^ . L). A. 


1865 


u. s. 


p. 


MacLeod, Fiona . . 


1905 


s. 


c. 


Macpherson, J as.. 


1796 


s. 


p. 


MacSherry, James. 


1869 


u. s. 


c. 


MacSherry, Rich'd 


1885 


u. s. 


c. 


Madden, Richard R.< 


1886 


I. 


c. 


Madison, .Tames ... 


1836 


u. s. 


p. 


Maginn,, Dr. Wm. . . 


1842 


I. 


p. 


Mag u i re. John F.. 


1872 


I. 


p. 


Mahon, Lord 


1875 


E. 


p. 



Chief Work. 



Evangeline. 1 

Field-Boolc of the Revo- 
lution. 
Lucasta. 1 
Poems. 

Among My Books. 
Poems. 

Travels in N. America.* 
E uplines. 2 

Cam or en sis E versus. -\ 
Ane Pleasant Satyre of 

the Thrie Est at is* 
Songs. 

Last Days of Pompeii.- 
Essays. 

Hist of Our Own Times.:;. 
Poems. 

Oath. Hist, of England. 

Psalter of Cash el. 

History of Ireland. 
Our Faith the Victory. 
Letters 

The Man of Feeling. 2 

Life of Charles Dickens. 
Progress of Ethical Phi- 
losophy. 
The Man of the World. 9 
Demotion to the Blessed 

Virgin in N. America. 
Through the Ivory dates. 1 
Poems of Ossian. 
History of Maryland. 
Essays. 

The United Irishmen. 
The Federttlisi 1 in pa rl > . 
Miscellanies. 
The I rish in I me I iCQ. 

History of England. § 



* Lyell is the author of several learned works on Geology. 

f Carnbrensis Overthrown. It is a refutation of Hi" errors and 
calumnies of Gerald Barry or Giraldus Carnbrensis. 

t It covers from the beginning of the reign of Queen Victoria 
till 1880, and is an interesting and valuable work. 

§ It covers from the Peace of Utrecht to the Peace of Y< i 
sailles, 1713 to 1783. 



500 



A SHORT DICTIONARY OF 



Name. 



o H 



H 

p 
O 



Chief Woek. 



Mahont, Rev. Fran- 
cis I 1866 

Maine, Sir Henry 
S 

Maitland, Sir Rich- 
ard 

Major, John 



Malone, Edmund. . 
Mal'ory, Sir T . . . . 
Malmesbury (mams' 
ber-e), William of 

Mangan, James C. . 

Manning, Cardinal. 

Marlowe, Christo- 
pher 

Marryat, (mar'i-at), 
Captain! 

Marsh, George P.. 

Marshall, T. W. M. 

Marston, John.... 

Marvell, Andrew . . 

Mason, William... 

Mas'singer, Philip 



Mas son, David 

Mather, Cotton . . . 

McGee, Thos. D. . . 
Meagher (mah'er), 

T. F 

Meehan, Rev. C. P. 

Mel'line, J. F 

Melville, Sir Jas. . 
Meredith, George. 
Meres, Francis . . . 



Merivale, Rev C. 
Middleton, Thomas 
Miles, George H. 
Mill, John Stuar 

Miller, Hugh . . . 



1888 



1586 
1550 



1812 
15thc. 

12thc. 

1849 
1892 

1593 

1848 
1882 
1878 
1634 
1678 
1797 
1640 

1907 
1728 

1867 

1867 
1890 
1873 
1617 
1909 
1647 

1893 
1627 
1871 
1873 

1856 



I. 
E. 



I. 

E. 



I. 

E. 

E. 

E. 
U. S. 
E. 
E. 
E. 
E. 
E. 

S. 

u. s. 

I. 

I. 
I. 

u. s. 
s. 

E. 
E. 

E. 
E. 
U. S. 
E. 

S. 



Reliques of Father Prout. 

Lectures on the Early 
Histoy of Institutions. 
Poems. 

Historia Majoris Britan- 
nia (in Latin). 
Edition of Shakespeare. 
Morte d' Arthur. 2 

Hist, of Kings of Eng- 
land* 

Dark Rosaleen. 1 

Four Chief Evils of the 
Day. 

Edward II 3 

Jacob Faithful. 2 

Lectures on Eng. Lang. 

Christian Missions. 

Dramas. 

Poems. 

Caractacus 3 

Neiv Way to Pay Old 
Debts. 3 

Life and Times of Milton. 

Magnolia Christi Ameri- 
cana. § 

History of Ireland. 

Speeches. 

O'Neill and O'Donnell. 
Mary, Queen of Scots. 
Memoirs. 
The Egoist. 2 

Palladis Tamia, Wit's 

Treasury. 
History of the Romans. 
The Changeling? 
Poems. 

Representative Govern- 
ment, 

Testimony of the Rocks. 



* In Latin. 

t Marryat stands at the head of British sea-novelists as an 
easv. lively, and truly humorous story-teller. 

t "A close and repeated perusal of Massinger's works has con- 
vinced me that he was a Catholic." — Qifford. 

§ Great Works of Christ in America. 



BRITISH, IRISH, AND AMERICAN AUTHORS. 501 



Name. 



O H 



Midler j Joaquin* . . 
Milner, Bish. John 
Milton, John . . . . 
Minot, Laurence. . 
Mitchel, John . . . 
Mitchell, D. G.t . . . 
Mitford, Miss M. R. 
Mi'vart, St. Geo. . . 
Moir, David M. . . 
Molloy, Rev. Ger 

ALD , 

molyneux, w 

Monmouth, Geof 

FREY OF 

Montagu, Lady 

Mary 

MontgomeriEj Alex 

Montgomery, Jas.. 
Moore, Thomas. . . . 
Moran, Archbishop 

More, Hannah . . . 

More, Henry 

More, Sir Thomas. 
Morgan, Lady .... 
Moriar'ty, Rev. P. 

E 

Morris, William . . 
Morris, George P. 
Motley. J. Lothrop 
Muller, (miller), 

Max 



Munday, Anthony. 
Mulock, Dinah 

Maria (Mrs.Craik) 
Murphy, Arthur. . 
Murray, Chas. A. . 
Murray, Lindley.. 

Murray, A bp 

Murray, Rev. Dr. P. 



1913 
1826 
1674 
14thc. 
1875 
1908 
1855 
1900 
1870 

1906 
1698 

1154 

1761 
c.1610 

1854 
1853 
1911 

1833 

1687 
1535 
1859 

1875 
1896 
1864 
1877 

1900 

1633 

1887 
1805 
1895 
1826 
1852 
1883 



U. S 

E. 

E. 

E. 

I. 
U. S, 

E. 

E. 

S. 

I. 
I. 



E. 
S. 



E. 
E. 
I. 

I. 
E. 
U. S. 

u. s. 

Ger. 

E. 

E. 
I. 
S. 

u. s. 
I. 
I. 



Chief Wobk. 



Poems. 

The End of Controversy. 
Paradise Lost. 1 
Poems. 

History of Ireland. 

Dream-Life. 

Our Village. 

Lessons from A at ure. 

Poems. 

Geology and Revelation. 
Case of Ireland Stated. 

Historia Regain Britan- 
nia?, t 
Letters. 

The Cherrie and the 

Slae. 1 
Poems. 

The Irish Melodies. 

History of the Catholic 
Archbishops of Dublin. 

The Religion of the Fash- 
ionable World. 

Divine Dialogues. 

Utopia. 2 

O'Donnell. 2 

Life of St. Augustine. 
The Earthly Paradise. 1 
Songs. 

Hist, of the United Neth- 
erlands. 

Chips from a German 
Workshop. 

The Downfall of Robert, 
Earl of Huntington. 1 

John Halifax, Gentleman? 

The Upholsterer. 8 

Travels in X. A merica. 

English Grammar. 

Sermons. 

Poems. 



* His real name was Cincinnatus Heine Miller: but in 1870 he 
published a volume of poems, one of which bearing the name 
of "Joaquin," he has since that time assumed the name for him 
self — Hart. 



t He is better known by his nam de plume of 
% In Latin. 



Marvel.' 



502 



A SHORT DICTIONARY OF 



Name. 


Date of 
Death. 


Country. 


Religion. 


Chief Work. 


Napier, Sir W. F. P. 


1866 


I. 


P. 


History of the War in 








lllv ±villtloUlU. 


AT a cj tx Tun has 


1601 


E. 


P. 


.lark Wilton 2 

O UI//V VV lllUll. 


Newma^ Cardinal. 


1890 


E. 


C. 


Apologia pro Vita Sua. 


Newton, Sir Isaac 


1727 


E. 


P. 


Pim vi dnift ^ 
/ / lllv ly lyjb. 


l\ U IV I XX , OIK -1- XX \J iM A ^ 


1601 


E. 


P. 


TP vn n cl ti f inn c 
J- x ansiaiiuiio. 


Norton, Mrs. # C. 










(L 3, d y Stirling- 












1877 


I. 


P. 


c> 111 o 

IrUvillo. 


O'Callaghan, Dr. E. 












1879 


I. 


C. 


T-T i otnvu r\ f -th f> ~Kfoif> ~K?f>tTi 
ii 10 i/'. \j i ij u j lilt/ ly V IV l » V ifl 










f>1*l ft 11 fl o 
VI III llllt). 


O CALLAGHAN, J. C 


1882 


I. 


c 


History of the Irish Bri- 








nnflra 
yuuvo. 


A'Pt t?pv Ron AT 


1643 


I. 


c. 


AiiiihTq f\ ~f tTi p Wfni'V 71 Trt t?_ 

£L llllU.1 o UJ 11 IV JT U III 111 11 a 








ters. 


U LONNELL, JJANIEL. 


1847 


I. 


c. 


.0? Ti f»f>f> ll O O 


\ J V_/UINUxt, W JV1. A. . . 


1887 


I. 


c. 


-fztot. UJ i/iv 11 loll JrvUpiv. 


H'PnDDV TT 1 TT f* 17* "VTT7* 

U LUliKl, XuV brJi/JN Hj . . , 


1862 


I. 


c. 


Lectures on the H/Ianu- 








ovl ipi JMU.IVI lUlo OJ JLIl- 










cient Irish History. 


f k * T A/ A X~ / \ A " A X T XT niTTT ATH 

\J lJUiNOY AiN, liiUMUNxJ 


1884 


r. 


c. 


Adventures in 3£erv. 


O'Donovan, John . . 


1861 


i. 


c. 


Tra,nslation of The An- 








nals of the Four Mas- 










ters. 




1718 


i. 


c. 


C\ ft ltfti ft 


(^l 9 I 7 ATT f\T> A "NT Q 

yj xt.ALLUKAjN , o . . . . 


1807 


i. 


c. 


History of Ireland. 


v ' xlAiN JL/UiN j XV Hi V . o IN U . 


1905 


i. 


c. 


Lives of tlie Irish Saints. 


O ' XT' TT 1 XT TJ 1 T1 1 TnTTM 

v f iv rjHiX v Hi , >j u xi i> . . . 


1833 


i. 


c. 


r V li f) J ft i~ f> f>/ 1 1\1 f> ,^i/'mWo/> 3 
lllv AyivVilOlv ioUl pilov. 


t \ * T XT' 4 T> V A DTTJTTD 


1802 




c. 


Essai/ on Toleration . 


(~\ T T T > TT A \ T riA A/T r> c? AT 

IJljlJr xiAJN _L, IYxKo. 1VL. 


1897 


|; 


p. 


Wlit* Tin no f\i IT it T iif> 

i tie uays oj j\iy iAje.\ 


i \ ' A T XT' A T> A T? A T> T> "V 

\J AlHiAKAj JjAKKx Hi.. 


1836 




c. 


~N apoXeon in Exile. 


O'Meara, Miss K. . . 


1888 




c. 


Life of Ozanani. 


O'Reilley, Rev. Dr. 










1856 




c. 


rr . nr W TIT 1 

i rue Jyi-en as we jscccl 


O'Reilly, Rev Dr. . 








1 neni. 


A. J 


3878 




c. 


Martyrs of the Coliseum. 2 


O'Reilly, J. Boyle. 


1890 




c. 


Ballads, Poems, and 










Songs. 


Orm 


c.1215 




c. 


Ormulum. 


Osgood, Mrs. F. S. . 


1850 


u. s. 


p. 


Poems. 




3rdc. 






Poems. 


Ossoli, Margaret 










F. d'. 


1850 


u. s. 


p 


Critical Papers. 




1783 


u. s. 


p. 


Vindication of the British 










Colonies. 



* This is Newton's great work. It is in Latin, the full title 
being, Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematical, 
f An autobiography. 



BRITISH, IRISH, AND AMERICAN AUTHORS. 503 



Name. 


Date of 
Death. 


Country. 


Religion. 


Chief Wobk. 


Otway, Thomas . . . 


1685 


E. 


p. 


Venice Preserved* 


Overbury, Sir Thos. 


1613 


E. 


P. 


Characters. 


Paixter, William. . 


1594 


E. 


P. 


Palace of Pleasure. 2 


Paley, Rev. Dr. W. 


1805 


E 


P. 


Natural Theology. 


Pal'graye, Sir. F.. 


1861 


E. 


p. 


Hist, of the Anglo-Sax- 


Paltock, Robert... 


1767 


E. 


P. 


ons. 

Peter W ilk ins. - 


ParkmaNj Francis. 


1893 


U. S. 


P. 


Jesuits in North America. 


Parnell, Thomas.. 


1718 


I. 


p. 


The Hermit. 1 


Parsons, Rev. R., S. 










J 


1610 


E. 


C. 


A Christian Directory. 


Parton, James . . . 


1891 


E. 


p. 


Life of Horace Greeley. 


Patmore, Coventry. 


1896 


E. 


c. 


The Angel in the House. 1 


Paulding, Jas. K . . 


1860 


CJ. S. 


p. 


John Bull and Brother 








Jonathan. 2 


Payne, John H. . . . 


1852 


u. s. 


p. 


Home, Sweet Home! 1 


Pecock, Reginald.. 


c.1460 


E. 


c. 


The Repressor of Orer 










Much Blaming of the. 


Peele, George .... 








Clergy. 


1598 


E. 


p. 


The Arraignment of Paris" 


Pepys, Samuel . . . 


1703 


E. 


p. 


Diary. 


Perctval, Jas. G. . 


1856 


U S. 


p. 


Poems. 


Percy, Bishop 


1811 


E. 


p. 


Reliques of Eng. Poetry. 


Phillips, Ambrose* 


1749 


E. 


p. 


Poems. 


Phillips, Charles 


1859 


I. 


p. 


Life of J. P. Curran. 


Phillips, Wendell 


1884 


U. S. 


p. 


Ora Hons. 


Pise, Rev. Dr. C. C. 


1866 


u. s. 


c. 


St. Ignatius and His 










First Companions. 


Pierpont, John .... 


1866 


u. s. 


p. 


Poems. 


Plegmund, Arc hbp. 


9the. 


E. 


c. 


The Saxon Clironicle. 




1849 


u. s. 


p. 


The Bar en. 1 


Pollard, E. A leant. 


1872 


u. s. 


p. 


The Lost Cause. 


Pollock, Robert. . 


1827 


s. 


p. 


The Course of Time. 1 


Pope Alexander. 


1744 


E. 


c. 


The Rape of the Lock.* 


Porter, Jane 


1850 


E. 


p. 


The Scottish Chiefs." 


Prendergast, J. P. 


1881 


I. 


p. 


The Cromirellian Settle 








merit of Ireland. 


Pre scott, Wm. H . . 


1859 


17. S. 


p. 


History of the Conquest 








of Mexico. 


Preston, Mrs. M. .7. 


1897 


U. S. 


p. 


Poems. 


Preston, Mgr. T. S. 


1891 


u. s. 


c. 


The Vicar of Christ. 


Prior, Matthew . . 


1721 


E. 


p. 


Poems. 


Procter, Miss A. A. 


1864 


E. 


c. 


Poems. 



* Phillips quarrelled with the poet Pope but Buffered for his 
temerity. Pope applied to him the novel epithel oJ "Nambj 
Pamby," which has since been adopted into the lan^ua^c «>i 
vituperation. — Hart. 

t Pollard is the chief historian of the Southern Confederacy. 



504 



A SHORT DICTIONARY OF 



XT 

.N AME. 


Date of 
Death. 


Country. 


Religion. 


Chief Work. 


Procter, Bryan W.* 


1877 


E. 


P. 


Poems. 


Prynne, William . . 


1669 


E. 


P. 


Histrio-Mastix : the Play- 










ers Scourge. 


PUTTENHAM, GEO. . . 


1590 


E. 


P. 


The Arte of English 










Poesie. 


QuarleSj Francis.. 


1644 


E. 


P. 


Poems. 


Quinn, Michael I. 


1843 


I. 


C. 


A Visit to Spain. 


Radcliffe, Mrs. A. 


1823 


E. 


P. 


Mysteries of Udolpho. 2 


Raleigh (raW'lee), 








Sir Walter 


1618 


E. 


P. 


History of the World. 


Ramsay, Allan . . . 


1758 


S. 


P. 


The Gentle Shepherd. 1 


Ramsay, David. . . . 


1815 


u. s. 


P. 


History of the TJ. S. 


Reade, Charles . . . 


1884 


E. 


P. 


Peg Woffington. 2 


Read, Thomas B.. . 


1872 


tJ. s. 


P 


Poems. 




1854 


u. s. 


1' 


Lect. on Eng. Literature. 


Reid, Mayne 


1884 


I. 


P. 


The Rifle Rangers. 2 




1796 


s. 


P. 


Enquiry into the Human 


Reynolds, George 








Mind. 




1802 


I. 


P. 


Songs. 


Rich, Barnabe .... 


c.1620 


E. 


P. 


Don Simonides. 2 


Richardson, Saml. 


1761 


E. 


P. 


Clarissa. 2 


Robert of Glouces- 










ter 


13thc. 


E. 


c. 


A Rhyming Chronicle. 


Robertson, W 


1793 


S. 


p. 


History of the Reign of 








Charles V. 


Rogers, Samuel. . .. 


1855 


E. 


p. 


The Pleasures of Memory 1 


Roper, William . . . 


1578 


E. 


c. 


Life of Sir Thomas More. 


Roscoe, W. T 


1832 


E. 


p. 


Life of Leo X. 


Rossetti, Dante Ga- 








briel 


1882 


E. 


p. 


The House of Life. 1 


Rowe, Nicholas . . . 


1718 


E. 


p. 


Dramas. 


Rouquette, Rev. A. 


1887 


U. S. 


c. 


Poems. 


Rush, Benjamin!.. . 


1813 


u. s. 


p. 


Essays. 


Rush, James! 


1869 


u. s. 


p. 


The Philosophy of the 










Human Voice. 


Rus'kin, John .... 


1900 


E. 


p. 


The Stones of Venice. 


Russell, Rev. Matt. 


1912 


I. 


c. 


Poems. 


Russell, Rev. Dr.. 












1880 


I. 


c. 


Life of Cardinal Mezzo- 










fanti. 


Ryan, Rev. Abram J. 


1886 


u. s. 


c. 


Poems. 


Sabine, Lorenzo . . 


1877 


IT. S. 


p. 


The American Loyalists. 


* Better known as 


"Barry Cornwall.' 





f Dr. Rush was the most famous American physician of the 
Revolutionary times. He was one of the signers of the Decla- 
ration of Independence. 

t He was the son of Dr. Benjamin Rush. The Philosophy of 
the Human Voice is a masterpiece ; it exhausts the subject. 



BRITISH, IRISH, AND AMERICAN AUTHORS. 505 



Name. 


Date of 
Death. 


Country. 


Religion. 


Chief Work. 


Sackville, Thomas 


1608 


E. 


P 


Mirror for Magistrates.* 


Sanders,, Rev. Dr. 










N 


1580 


E. 


C 


Rise and Growth of ttic 










Anglican Schism* 


Sargent, Epes .... 


1882 


U. S. 


P. 


The Standard Speaker. 




1863 


I. 


c. 


Poems. 


Saxe, John G 


1887 


U. S. 


p 


Poems. 


Schoolcraft, H. R. 


1864 


U. S. 


p. 


Historical Information 










Concerning the Indians. 


Scot, Reginald . . . 


1599 


E. 


p. 


Discoverie of Witchcraft. 


Scott, Alexander . . 


c.1584 


S. 


c. 


Justing at the Drum. 1 




1832 


s. 


p 


TTip ~SA7 ni* pi*! e> ii ^eifclQ 
± iikj \\ U/VXjI ivy i\ ut cia. 




1308 


I. 


o. 


Commentary on Lom- 










bard's Book of Senten- 


Sedgewick, Miss C. 








ces (in Latin ).t 




1867 


u. s. 


p 


Hope Leslie. 2 


Sempill, Robert. . . 


1595 


s. 


p. 


The Sempill Ballates. 1 


S HAKE S'PE ARE, WM. 


1616 


E. 


c 


Dramas. 




1892 


u. s. 


c 


History of the Catholic 








Missions. 


Shea, John A 


1845 


I. 


c. 


Poems. 


Sheil, Richard L. 


1851 


Y I. 


c 


Legal and Political Sket- 










ches. 


Shenstone, Wm... 


1763 


E. 


p. 


The Schoolmistress. 1 


Shelley, Percy B. 


1822 


E. 


p. 


The Revolt of Islam 


Sheridan, Richard 










1816 


I. 


p. 


The School for Scandal.- 


Sherman, Wm. T. 


1891 


U. S. 


p. 


Military Mem oirs. 


Shirley, James . . . 


1666 


E. 


c 


Dramas. 


Sidney, Sir Philip 


1586 


E. 


p. 


Defence of Poesie, 


Si'gourney, Mrs. L. 










H 


1865 


IT. S. 


p. 


Poems. 


Simms, William G. 


1870 


u. s. 


p. 


Hist, of South Carolina. 


Skelton, John . . . 


1529 


E. 


c 


Colyn Clonte. 1 


Smart, Christopher 


1771 


E. 


p. 


Song to Da r id. 1 


Cat ttitj A rv a t\t 


1790 


S. 


I'. 


The Wpnltti of Xatinti* 


Smith, Sydney 


1845 


E. 


p. 


Essays and Letters. 


Smollett, Tobias.. 


1771 


S. 


P. 


Humphr}! CI inker. - 


SOMERVILLE, MRS. M. 


1872 


E. 


p. 


Connection of the I'hysi 










cal Sciences. 


SOUTHERNE, THOMAS 


1746 


I. 


p. 


Isabella, or the Fatal 








Marriage.' 1 


Southey, Robert.. 


1843 


E. 


p. 


The Curse of Keliama. } 


Southwell, Rev. R., 










S. J 


1595 


E. 


c! 


The Burning Babe. 1 



* It was written in Latin, but has recently been translated. 
Dr. Sanders was one of the theologians at the Council of Trent, 
f Called Opus Oxoniense. 



506 



A SHORT DICTIONARY OF 



Name. 



Q 



o 



Chief Woek. 



Spalding, (spawl'- 
ding) , Archbp . . 

Sparks, Jared . . . 

Spencer, Herbert. 

Spenser, Edmund. 

Stanyhurst, Rich'd 

Stedman, Edmund 
C 

Steele, Sir Rich. . 

Stephens, Alex. H. 

Sterne, Laurence . 
Stevenson, R. L. . . 
Stewart, Dugald. . 

Stoddard, Charles 
Warren 

Stoddard, Richard 
Henry 

Storer, Thomas . . . 

Story, Joseph .... 

Stow, John 

oTOwe, Mrs. H. B. 
Street, Alfred B.. 
Strickland, Agnes 
StJLLIYAN, A. M. . . . 

Swift, Dean 

Swin'burne, A. C. . 
Swinton, William. 

Sylvester, Josua. . 

Tabb, John Bannis- 
ter 

Taylor, Jeremy... 

Taylor, Bayard. . . 
Temple, Sir Wm. . . 
Tennyson, Alfred. 
Thack'eray, W. M. 
Thompson, Francis 
Thomson, James . 



1872 
1866 
1903 
1599 
1618 

1908 
1729 
1883 

1768 
1894 
1828 



1909 



1903 

1604 

1845 
1605 
1896 
1881 
1874 
1884 
1745 
1909 
1892 

1618 



1909 
1667 

1879 
1699 
1892 
1863 
1907 
1748 



U. S. 

u. s. 

E. 
E. 
I. 

u. s. 
1. 

u. s. 

I. 
u. s. 
s. 



u. s. 



u. s. 

E. 

u. s. 
u. s. 

E. 
I. 
I. 
E. 
E. 

E. 



U. S. 
E. 

U. S. 
E. 
E. 
E. 
E. 
E. 



Hist, of the Reformation * 
American Biography. 



The Faerie Queene. 1 
Chronicles of Ireland. 

Poems. 
Essays. 

History of the War Be- 
tween the States. 

Tristram Shandy.% 

Treasure Island. 2 

Philosophy of the Human 
Mind. 

The Wonder Worker from 
Padua. 

The Lion's Cub and Other 
Verse. 1 

Life and Death of Thomas 

Wolsey, Cardinall. 1 
Constitution of the U. S. 
Survay of London. 
Uncle Tom's Cabin. 2 
Poems. 

The Queens of England. 
New Ireland. 
Gulliver's Travels. 2 
Tristram of Lyonesse. 1 
The Twelve Decisive Bat- 
tles of the War. 
Divine Weeks and Works 1 
(from Du Bartas). 

Poems. 

Hotly Living and Holy 

Dying. 
Poems. 
Essays. 

The Idylls of the King. 1 

Arthur Pendennis 2 
The Hound of Heaven. 1 
The Seasons. 1 



* The fullest and most exhaustive work on the subject in 
English. 

t Spencer is a master of style, but he belongs to the infidel 
school of Darwin. Buckle. Huxley, etc. 

t A famous but licentious novel full of wit and pathos. 



BRITISH, IRISH, AND AMERICAN AUTHORS. 507 



Name. 



O 

C 



o 



Chief Work. 



Thoreau, Henry D. 

Thorpe j Benjamin. 
Tickell, Thomas.. 
Ticknor,, George.. 
Tighernach (teer'- 

nah) 

Tighe, Mrs. Mary| 
T o n e j Theobald 

Wolfe 

Tourneur, Cyril. . . 
Trench, Richard C. 
TrollopEj Anthony 

TUCKERMAN, HY. T. 

Tusser, Thomas ... 

Tyndale, William 

Tyndall, John .... 

Udall, Nicholas.. 
UssheRj James .... 

Vaughan, Roger W. 
Vaughan, Henry. . 
Verplanck, G. C. . . 
Vet'romile, Rev. Dr. 
E 

VlTALIS, ORDERICUS 

Wage, Richard . . . 
Wadding, Rev. Luke 



1862 

1870 
1740 
1871 

1088 
1810 

1798 
1626 
1886 
1882 
1871 
1580 

1536 

1893 

1556 
1656 

1883 
1695 
1870 

1882 
12thc. 
1148 
1657 



U. S. 

E. 
E. 
U. S. 

I. 
I. 

I. 

E. 
E. 
E. 
U. S. 
E. 

E. 

I. 

E. 
I. 

E. 
E. 
U. S. 

It. 
E. 
F. 
I. 



Walden; or, Life in the 

Woods. 
Old Eng. Translations.* 
Poems. 

History of Spanish Lit. 

Annals of Tighernach. 
Psyche. 1 

A utobiography. 

The Revenger's Tragedy. 1 

On the Study of Words. 

An Autobiography. 

Essays. 

Five Hundreth Pointes 
of Good Husbandry. 1 

Translation of the New 
Testament. 

On Sound. 

Ralph Roister Doister.* 
Antiquities of the British 

Churches. 
Life of St. Thos. Aquinas. 
Thalia Redirira. 1 
Life of ShakespeareX 

Travels. 

Ecclesiastica I II is tory. 
Poems. 

Annals of the Friar* Mi- 
nor. 



* Thorpe was a most eminent Anglo-Saxon scholar. Among 
the many works of which he gave an English translation are 
Csedmon's Poems, Beowulf, and The Saxon Chronicle. 

f Her maiden name was Blachford. It was to the death <»f 
this lady that Moore refers in one of his Irish melodies, be- 
ginning : 

"I saw thy form in youthful prime 
Nor thought that pale decay 
Would steal before the steps of time 
And waste its bloom away. Mary ! 
Yet still thy features wore that light 

Which fleets not with the breath, 
And life ne'er looked more truly brighl 
Than in thy smile of death, Mary !" 
? Verplanck's "edition of Shakespeare's plays, with life and 
critical notes, was an honor to American scholarship, and was 
the best American edition of Shakespeare prior to that ot Rich 
ard Grant White." — Hart. 



33 



508 



A SHORT DICTIONARY OF 



Name. 



O H 

Q 



« 

EH 

D 
O 

u 



Chief Work. 



Walker,, John 

Waller, Edmund . 
Walpole, Horace . . 
Walsh, Robert. . . 
Walton, Izaak .... 
Walworth, Rev. C. 

A 

Ward, Rev. Hugh.. 
Ward, William G. . 

Ware, Sir James . . 

Warner, William . . 
Warton, Thomas.. 
Washington, Geo. . 
Watson, Thomas . . . 



Watts, Isaac 

Webbe, William . . . 
Webster, Daniel.. 
Webster, Noah. . . . 

Webster, John* . . 
Wedderburne, Jas., 
John, and Robt. . 

Whetstone, George 
Whe well ( hu'el ) , W. 

Whipple, Edwin P. 

White, Gilbert. . . 

White, Henry Kirk 
White, Rev. Dr. C. 

I 

White, Richard G. 
Whitman, Walt . . 
Whitney, Wm. D. . 

Whittier, John G. 

Wilde, Lady 

Wilde, Oscar 



1807 

1.687 
1797 
1859 
1683 



1666 

1609 
1790 
1799 
1592 



1748 
c.1600 
1852 
1843 

17thc. 

17thc. 

c.1587 
1866 

1886 

1793 

1806 

1878 
1885 
1892 
1894 

1892 
1896 
1900 



E. 

E. 
E. 
U. S. 
E. 

U. S. 

k 

I. 

E. 
E. 
U. S. 
E, 



E. 
E. 
U. S. 

u. s. 

E. 

s. 

E. 
E. 

U. S. 

E. 

E. 
U. S. 

u. s. 
u. s. 
u. s. 

u. s. 
I. 
I. 



Pronouncing English Dic- 
tionary. 
Poems. 
Letters. 



The Complete Angler. 

The Gentle Skeptic. 
Irish Martyr ology. 
Essays in the Dublin Re- 
view. 

Lives of the Irish Bish- 
ops. 

Albion's England. 1 

Hist, of English Poetry 

Farewell Address. 

Hecatompathia, or Pas- 
sionate Centurie of 
Love. 1 

Hymns. 

Discourse of Eng. Poetrie. 
Speeches. 

American Dictionary of 
the English Language. 
Dramas. 

The Gude and Godlie Bal- 
latis 1 

Promos and Cassandra. 3 

History of the Inductive 
Sciences. 

Literature of the Age of 
Elizabeth. 

Natural History and An- 
tiquities of Selborne. 

Poems. 

Life of Mother Seton. 
Words and their Uses. 
Leaves of Grass. 1 
Language and the Study 

of Language. 
Snow-Bound. 1 
Poems. 

The Importance of 
Earnest. 3 



* "Of John Webster, the author of a famous tragedy called 
The Duchess of Malfi, not even so much as the year of his birth 
is known. The period of his greatest popularity and accept- 
ance as a dramatist was about 1620." — Thomas Arnold. 



BRITISH, IRISH, AND AMERICAN AUTHORS. 509 





ATE OF 

Death. 


« 







Name. 


Eh 




Chief Work. 




D 

Q 






p 


o 


« 




Wirnr T?Tr"TTATir> T-T 




I 


P. 


Poems. 


Wilkins^ John 


ID i £ 


E. 


P. 


The Discovery of a New 








World. 


Willis Nathaniel 










.P /. 


1 CAT 


U. S. 


P 


Poems. 


Wrr.r TAAr«? Rtptt T) 




I. 


C. 


Po em s 


>V iiJuUli j O \J XI x\ • • • • 




s. 


p. 


J A nJitfi fluff SiTi n fl nil' * nt 

J-JVyiVVO LVlvKV KjilllilUH o U J 








Scottish Life. 


WT7ST7FT TVlVTA"W 


s. 


c. 


Reformation of Doctrync 

ft 1 i rf Af n w Pi*n o 

WIVU/ dxLU,IVt/l to. 


WTtrt' Wtt t t a \r 


1834 


u. s. 


p. 


TAfp nf T^niYioli T-Tcnvtj 

±J*V _| D UJ JT tv VI viylv ±X C 11 i y • 


T\7tqt?\t A TVJ r^APr»T"VAT 

VV liofj.UAA , V^drvUliV AL 


1865 


I. 


c! 


H^li p C! nil n ppfi Yjm Tipftrppti 

J. IV& \J U II rt'OL/ I l\J IV XJ \j V IC C C IV 

Science and Revealed 
Religion. 


Wither George 
Wolfe/Rev. Chas.. 


1667 


E. 


p. 


The Shephard } s Hunting.' 1 


1827 


I. 


p. 


Poems. 


Worcester (woos'- 










ter), Joseph E . . 


1865 


u. s 


p. 


Dictionary of the English 








Language. 


Wordsworth, W... 


1850 


E. 


p. 


The Excursion. 1 


Wyatt, Sir Thomas 


1541 


E. 


c. 


Poems. 


Wycherley, Wm., . 


1716 


E. 


p. 


The Plain Dealer. 3 


Wyclif, John .... 


1384 


E 




Translation of the Bible. 


Wyntoun (win'ton), 










Andrew of .... 


c.1424 


S. 


c. 


Orygynale Gronykil. 


Young,, Edward . . . 


1765 


E. 


p. 


Night Thoughts. 



Ca- 



may S!9:4 



LIBRARY OF CONGRES.S 



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